


Echoes of Battles Past

by Puph_17



Category: Super Smash Brothers
Genre: Action, Action/Adventure, Adventure, Everyone is Here! (SSB), Gen, Saving the World, lots of characters
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-05-09
Updated: 2021-02-21
Packaged: 2021-03-03 01:41:23
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 12
Words: 64,084
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24096748
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Puph_17/pseuds/Puph_17
Summary: When a new threat unexpectedly arrives, the Smashers are forced to respond. With little information and a collective of villains threatening the galaxy at large, can they rise to the occasion?
Comments: 14
Kudos: 12





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Hello everybody! I’m back from finals with a brand new fic! This is a story that I’ve had in the works for quite some time and I’m REALLY excited for this!
> 
> To be up front, this is a more “realistic” inspired style AU for the Smashers. As such, I’ve made a few changes to some of the characters. To be more thematically fitting for the theme of this story, some characters have been reworked, to varying extents. These reworks have been done to remove deities, magic, dragons, etc. For instance, characters like Palutena and Corrin have received some changes, though I have done my best to keep their abilities reminiscent or similar to their original abilities. These changes will be explained in more detail in a few chapters. 
> 
> Also, this fic will include 5 OC Smashers. I realize OCs have a bad reputation for a reason, but I have put a significant amount of work into ensuring that they do not fall into these pitfalls. They will be treated just like any other Smasher and the story does not center around any of them. I mention this up front as I know OCs can be a touchy subject and I don’t want to mislead anyone. All I can ask is that you give them a chance. 
> 
> Last thing before we start. This story is being prewritten – I have several arcs already written as of the time of writing. While I appreciate all feedback, please remember that I’ve spent a significant amount of time writing this story in advance to posting and I’m not going to be making any changes to the plot or when characters appear at request – all of this has been set in stone at this point.  
> With that out of the way, here we go!

**Act 1: Roy**

**Chapter 1: An Unexpected Caller**

It had been a boring day at Smash Mansion. Sure, it was a nice, sunny day with only a few wispy clouds high in the sky, but nothing was happening. It had been quiet for weeks, and Roy had been feeling the boredom. The mansion always felt so empty during times like this.

During times when all of the Smashers would be present at their headquarters, the building would buzz with life. Roy would wake up every morning in the swordsman’s wing, as it had been dubbed with Marth in the room to the right, Ike in the room to the left, and Meta Knight in the room across from his. But those were usually times when training would occur to keep their skills sharp or for team building exercises to keep team building sharp.

Sadly, Roy was on monitor duty. Which meant that he was here with only a handful of Smashers to be able to respond quickly to immediate events. And Roy had been _bored_. So very bored. He was even sorta wishing that he’d gotten roped into that mission to destroy that Subspace Core out in the middle of nowhere in space. So here he was, sitting in front of a computer, in a voice call. Thankfully, the time difference between Unity City and Ostia was only 4 hours.

Lilina smiled back at him over a video chat.

“Don’t worry,” said Roy. “I’m only on active duty for one more week. We can make it to the art festival.”

“That’s wonderful!” said Lilina excitedly. “It will be amazing! They’ll have art from across the galaxy there!”

Roy smiled at Lilina’s excitement. “I know you’re really excited for this!”

“Aren’t you?” Lilina’s eyes narrowed. “Oh wait, you’re going to try and figure out people’s strengths and weaknesses from their art again, aren’t you?”

Roy chuckled sheepishly, “You know me!”

Lilina glared at him through the monitor. “There’s more to life than just tactics, Roy. Learn to live a little bit! Enjoy something! I can’t just let my cousin be a stick in the mud!”

“I helped save Elibe from Zephiel with tactics, Lilina. You know I can’t just let it go.”

Lilina sighed.

“I know. I just miss the old days.”

“Yeah. Things were simpler back then.”

The two sat in silence for a moment.

An alarm began to blare. Roy glanced quickly over at a different monitor. It was a Code Red Alert. That was the highest level of alert that the Smashers had. Whatever it was couldn’t be good. 

“Lilina, sorry, we just got a major alarm. Gotta look at this one. I’ll call you back later.”

“Ok, I’ll see you later! Bye!” said Lilina quickly before Roy cut the connection.

Roy leapt out of his chair and activated a device on his wrist.

“What’s going on?” he asked. “False alarm?”

ROB’s voice sounded back, “Negative. A masked swordswoman accompanied by what appear to be clones of various Smashers have begun to attack the Galactic Assembly.”

“The Galactic Assembly? In broad daylight!?” asked Roy in surprise. “You’re not pulling my leg here, are you?” Clones of Smashers attacking the Galactic Assembly? That sounded like something out of a children’s cartoon.

“Negative. We have received an emergency call from the Unity City Police Department asking for our immediate assistance.”

Roy’s eyes narrowed as his tactical mind kicked into gear. This was a very stupid opponent. Or very confident. One or the other. He wouldn’t be able to tell till he got there.

“How long ago did the attack start?” asked another voice.

“2 minutes ago, Mr. Game and Watch.”

“I’ll get Pac Man,” said G&W. “Is Mega Man ready to go?”

“Yes, he is preparing the dropship for takeoff,” replied ROB.

“Good. Roy! You meet us all in the hangar!”

“On it,” said Roy. Roy dashed through the hallways and rushed into the elevator and slapped the lowest basement floor. He waited impatiently as the elevator took him down to the hangar.

As he stepped out, he saw Mr. Game and Watch and Pac Man, step into the dropship. Pac Man turned around.

“Just in time!” he said.

Roy sprinted onto the craft and quickly sat down in the back with Game and Watch and Pac Man. Megaman sat in the cockpit and ROB stood next to him. Roy put his earpiece in his ear and turned it on.

The thrusters of the dropship flared to life and the ship took off.

“What does the situation look like?” asked Roy.

“There have been five assailants identified. Four appear to be dark clones of some sort of other smashers. One does not appear to resemble any smasher based off of appearance alone,” said Mega Man.

“Which ones?” asked Pac Man.

“Samus, Pit, Link and Captain Falcon,” replied Mega Man. “They are led by a blue haired young woman wearing a butterfly mask over her eyes. She is the one who does not resemble any other Smasher. She wields a sword.”

Roy furrowed his brow, thinking.

“So, what’s the plan, Mr. Tactician?” asked G&W.

“Let’s go with the usual. I’ll go first and make a fuss and take on the leader. I’m probably best suited to duel her since she has a sword. You guys take on the others. ROB and Mega Man, you have better long-range abilities, so you should go after the Pit and Samus clones. Game and Watch, Pac Man, can you handle the Link and Falcon clones?”

“We’ll take ‘em, no problem!” said Pac Man with a grin.

“Affirmative, we will follow your lead,” said ROB.

“Right, ROB, can you take pictures of the assailants? We’ll analyze them later,” said Roy.

“Affirmative.”

“Also, let’s capture them if we can. Random people don’t attack the most heavily guarded place in the known galaxy and have this much success without a plan and resources. If this isn’t backed by some person with grand delusions of being able to beat all of the Smashers with a handful of clones, we’re up against somebody with a lot of resources and well laid plans. In which case they are backed by someone or something that poses a significant threat. We need to know who or what it is.”

This was met with a chorus of agreement.

“Heads up, we’re approaching the Grand Assembly Hall. The police have set a perimeter around the building, but the enemy is pushing them back,” said Mega Man.

“Drop us at the perimeter,” said Roy. “Land the dropship somewhere and then come back us up. I’ll try to talk until you arrive. Have you sent out the emergency signal to the other Smashers?”

“I have, as according to Equinox Protocol,” said ROB.

Mega Man swooped down and hovered the dropship just above the police cars on the street below.

“I’ll drop you off here!” he said.

“All right, hot shot, time to go fancy pants mode,” said G&W.

Roy pulled out a pair of sunglasses with a flourish and put them on with a smirk.

“Naturally! Let’s move!”

Roy jumped out of the back of the dropship, followed by Mr. Game and Watch, Pac Man and ROB. The police officers on scene stepped back as they made their way to the front. Roy’s eyes widened, as he saw the masked swordswoman raise her blade over a downed representative. He leapt forward and blocked the downward strike. The representative crawled away as the other smashers walked up behind him. The crowd of police and onlookers began to cheer. Roy grinned as the masked swordswoman took a few steps back and resumed a guard stance.

“It’s Roy your Boy!” he proclaimed as he spun his blade in a flashy salute, activating his pyrokinetic abilities and cloaking his sword in flame. He finished by pointing his blazing sword at his opponent. He flashed her a winning smile. He’d taken a long time to perfect his “Roy your Boy” persona, and it was his usual face when around the public at large.

“And who might you be?”

“My name is irrelevant,” she said as she tucked her long blue hair behind her ear again and readjusted the butterfly mask covering her eyes. A nervous tick. Time to destabilize her composure further.

“But surely, such a beautiful lady like you has a name?” said Roy.

“The only name you should remember is that of my master.”

“And what name is that?” asked Roy.

“Ganondorf.”

“The Scourge of Hyrule? Do you not know that Ganondorf is a dangerous man? It is unwise for anyone, even one of your beauty and skill, to associate with such a villain!”

“Hmph. You know nothing. We are the Reclaimers, and we will prevail. We shall exact justice against oppressors such as you! We will create the perfect world!”

“Reclaimers? Oppressors? Perfect World?” asked Roy. “What are you talking about?”

“You know why, villain. You know your crimes. Prepare to die!” said the masked swordswoman. She dashed forward, slashing at Roy. Roy blocked her strike with ease. She jumped back quickly.

“Kill them all!” the swordswoman shouted to her companions. Her comrades sprang into action as Roy adjusted his stance. Whoever this person was, she needed to be defeated. But more troubling was the revelation that Ganondorf had returned. The Smashers, especially Link and Zelda needed to hear this information. But first, to win this duel. He pulled his shades down a little and winked at the masked swordswoman. She grit her teeth, and vaulted into battle once again.

* * *

Megaman dashed up as the masked swordswoman’s companions sprung into action. The dark clone of Pit soared up into the sky as he drew closer. He aimed his Mega Buster and fired a barrage of shots. The clone dodged and brandished a weapon that looked near identical to Pit’s sword-bow hybrid weapon. Dark Pit fired several arrows as he flew towards Megaman. Megaman began to spin rapidly, deflecting the arrows.

“Top Spin!”

As Megaman stopped spinning, he pulled circular metal sawblades out of his arms, and hurled them at his opponent.

“Circle Blades!”

The Pit clone fired another barrage of dark hardlight arrows at him, which Megaman dodged. Megaman fired off several shots from his arm cannons, before charging a Mega Buster shot. The clone swooped in for a dive bomb, slashing at Mega Man with his bow – sword hybrid. Megaman dodged the attack and fired his Buster Shot as his opponent landed. He turned around and extended his hand. A glowing shield appeared around him that repelled his shot back at Megaman. Megaman activated another function as his hand burst into a blaze of flame.

“FLAME SWORD!”

The attack dispersed the Mega Buster shot. Keeping the ability active, Megaman resumed his fighting stance.

The clone glared down at him disdainfully.

“Give it up, you stupid rust bucket! I’m Dark Pit! You’re no match for me!”

Megaman would have rolled his optical sensors if he hadn’t been autotargeting his opponent. If this clone thought he hadn’t heard that one before, it was probably because he was literally born yesterday.

* * *

Pac Man ducked underneath a flurry of punches from the Captain Falcon clone and rolled backwards.

“Hah! You can’t beat me!” shouted the clone. “I, the great Blood Falcon, shall destroy you, Smasher!”

“Yeah, and I’m the King of Hyrule!” muttered Pac Man sarcastically.

“What was that? Couldn’t hear you over the sound of me being AWESOME!”

So, his opponent had the mental capacity of an edgy teenager. Lovely. It could have been worse. He wasn’t one of the oldest smashers by dumb luck. Time to show this youngster how it was done.

Blood Falcon rushed at Pac Man, eager to start the fight. Pac Man pulled a key out of his pocket and hurled it at Blood Falcon as he dashed up. The clone dodged the projectile, and Pac Man took a different stance.

“CHOMPER FORM!” he shouted as he transformed into a yellow ball with a mouth.

“Falcon Kick!” shouted Blood Falcon as he neared Pac Man.

Pac Man rolled to the side as Blood Falcon’s flaming foot whizzed past him, turned himself, and chomped down on Blood Falcon’s hand. As Blood Falcon yelled out in pain, Pac Man spun himself and hurled his opponent into one of the pillars of the Galactic Assembly building. As he transformed back into his normal form, Pac Man saw Blood Falcon pull himself to his feet and begin dashing straight back at him. Pac Man sighed. Too bull headed to stop, eh? He pulled a fire hydrant out of his dimensional pocket and placed it down on the ground to the surprise of some of the nearby police officers. He lined up the nozzle of the firehose, ready to blast his charging opponent with a pressurized stream of water. This fight was going to take a while. But it wasn’t going to end until he’d rained on his opponent’s parade, at least once.

* * *

ROB stared up at the visor covered visage of the Samus clone. She stared back down at the robot.

“Surrendering now is advisable. You are no match for the Smashers. Should you choose to pursue a combative option, you have an 89.2% to 97.8% probability of failure. I therefore must conclude that your best option is to surrender,” said ROB.

It was considered by many cultures to be the morally superior option to try and end a fight without bloodshed. ROB agreed with that idea. Wanton waste was considered immoral, and there was no need to waste his energy reserves on a fight that he could perhaps talk his way out of.

“Never! Do you know who you’re talking to? I’m Dark Samus! I will destroy you!” hissed the clone as she began charging a shot in her arm cannon.

Unfortunately, ROB had had little success with this strategy. Still, it was worth attempting. Despite his efforts, it was concerning that his success had been limited. He couldn’t understand why, though. Organic beings were said to be quite rational, and he had laid out all of the facts as objectively and concisely as he could. Many, however, did not meet this rational standard. Why they would disregard logic was beyond his AI programming. Perhaps he should consult Peach or Marth in the future, ROB mused, as he fired a laser out of his eyes at Dark Samus. They were much better at getting organic beings to agree with them.

Dark Samus dodged his laser, and fired her own charge shot at him. As he activated his thrusters to dodge, ROB wondered if his lack of success was perhaps the limitations of his ancient AI programming. After all, he had been manufactured just over 2 centuries ago. Dark Samus fired a missile at him. He fired a gyro to intercept it midair. A few years ago, they had celebrated his 200th manufacturing date, or birthday, as the others referred to it. They had gotten him a new power supply, custom made for his base. It had been a thoughtful gift. But he was getting off track. Back to the primary objectives.

“STAND STILL!” yelled Dark Samus as she rushed at him, brandishing her arm cannon.

This clone of Samus lacked the original’s rational mind. What a curious observation. Perhaps it was worth dragging the fight out a little bit to observe this specimen. Doubtless, this could be useful evidence to analyze later. He opened a new file and created a new document in his computer drive as he spun his midsection and outstretched arms to smack the charging clone backwards.

Observations of Samus Clone:

1) Does not appear to have same disposition as original Samus.

2) Assuming true clone, gender is female.

ROB paused his mental listing. He should run a scan just in case. Such an inaccuracy could potentially be problematic in the future.

“SAY SOMETHING!” screamed Dark Samus as she fired another missile.

Perhaps the cloning method had caused mental instability? Or was the irrational anger simply the product of a different personality? Which then brought of the question of nature vs nurture. ROB noted that the results of this scan could potentially be controversial as he destroyed the missile with a laser shot from his eyes. Was this evidence of the existence of the ‘soul’ as some had argued for? All the more reason to run a scan. This subject certainly required further observation.

Dark Samus fired another missile.

“DON’T IGNORE ME!”

* * *

Mr. Game and Watch pulled a frying pan out of his dimensional pocket and assumed a fighting stance as the clone of Link silently drew his sword. It was an advantage that he shared with Pac Man, coming from Dimensional Town and all. The clone took a fighting stance. In G&W’s opinion, it looked like a cheap imitation of the original’s fighting stance.

“Who taught you that opening stance? They ought to be fired!” said G&W.

The clone said nothing but attempted to correct his stance. No verbal response. This one seemed pretty quiet. G&W glared sternly at him.

“Don’t try me, boy. The original Link has a hard enough time fighting me. You should back out while you have the chance.”

The Link clone said nothing but charged at him with a hoarse yell. G&W grit his teeth as the clone approached. He wasn’t the most powerful melee fighter, but he had years of experience to draw on, and a lot of familiarity with an unusual weapon. He could give even the best smashers a hard time and this clone would be no exception. G&W parried his strikes with a surprising amount of ease. He’d sparred against Link before, and while the technique looked the same, this clone clearly didn’t have the experience and the fine control that the original did. However, somebody was still teaching him to mimic the original. But how had they been able to copy his style to such a precise degree?

“You got a name?” asked G&W.

“Dark Link,” rasped the clone, his voice hoarse from lack of use.

“Huh. The name’s Game and Watch. You think I can get you to surrender peacefully?”

Dark Link rushed at him again with an aggressive strike. So much for that idea. G&W grimaced and rolled past him as the clone overextended himself. G&W took the opportunity to chuck a bomb at the clone’s back. The explosion caused the clone to stumble forward and faceplant. G&W rushed up to end the fight, when Dark Link suddenly rolled over and chucked a bomb of his own at G&W. The 2D fighter merely leaned to the side as the boomerang whizzed past him. Being totally flat was an advantage that few others were blessed with. Dark Link slashed his sword at him as he began to close in. G&W paused just out of Dark Link’s range, and pulled a cannister out of his back pocket, and began spraying an irritant gas at him, which Dark Link managed to mostly disperse with a swing of his shield. As he was swinging, G&W leapt forward, and smacked Dark Link with his frying pan. Dark Link swung his shield wildly and managed to connect with G&W, who was sent flying. Being totally flat also came with its drawbacks, namely a lack of weight. As both fighters got to their feet, G&W tightened his grip on his frying pan and prepared for another round of combat. This clone wasn’t going down so easily.

* * *

Roy parried a swift series of slashes from his opponent, before feinting with his sword and following it with a wide slash. The Masked Swordswoman pivoted just out of the range of his sword, before rushing back in. The two exchanged another flurry of blows before backing up, and circling each other, swords in guard position. The masked swordswoman watched him warily. It was time to change up the pace of the fight. Roy cloaked his sword in flames.

“Flare Blade!”

The masked swordswoman jumped back out of the range of the attack and landed.

Roy followed it up with another flurry of strikes, which his opponent evaded with surprising agility. Roy swore that she reminded him of somebody, but he couldn’t place it. She was by far the most balanced swordswoman he’d seen in a very long time. She wasn’t nearly as strong Ike, nor as graceful and precise as Marth not as fast as Corrin. Balanced was a good way to describe her. She was definitely a sword specialist though. Her blade control was far superior than a less dedicated swordfighter like Corrinne or Shulk. It was her sword style that was throwing him for a loop. Where had he seen a style like hers before?

Roy engulfed his sword in flames again, when his enemy suddenly dashed at him.

“ASTRA!” she shouted as she pulled off the five hit sword technique. Roy blocked the first four attacks, but rolled under the fifth, and kicked her in the back of her leg. She rolled out of the way, narrowly avoiding his strike to her back. The masked swordswoman scrambled to her feet and reached behind her belt for something. Roy didn’t give her the time and pressed his advantage.

“Fireball Barrage!” he shouted as he swung his sword at the air, shooting several fireballs from his sword. The masked swordswoman ducked out of the way and threw three spherical objects at ground in front of her.

Roy’s eyes widened as he resumed his guard stance.

“Incineroar! Greninja! Lucario!”

It was now a 1 vs 4 situation. This was bad. If he was working in concert with other Smashers, being outnumbered 4 to 1 was no problem, but on his own………Roy needed to come up with a new strategy fast.

“Attack! All of you!” shouted the swordswoman.

The Lucario suddenly zipped at him with superhuman speed, Roy narrowly blocking the incoming punch with his sword, but he had to pivot quickly aside as Incineroar dove at him with a fire covered tackle. Roy dove out of the way and dispelled several of Greninja’s water shuriken with a swing of his sword before landing a quick but powerful pommel strike to Greninja’s face, causing it to stagger back. But there was no time to think. Already, Lucario was on top of him again, throwing punches and kicks. Roy managed to land a kick to Lucario’s gut, before turning and blocking a sword strike from the masked swordswoman from behind. Suddenly, a blazing punch slammed into his side. Roy grunted. Being a pyrokinetic himself, fire didn’t affect him as much, but that Incineroar was not weak by any stretch of the imagination. Roy charged a greater amount of fire into his sword, with the tip of the fire going past the tip of his blade by a few meters.

“Great Flare Blade!” he shouted, as he slammed his blazing sword into the ground again. The entirety of the flame coating exploded, sending the nearby Incineroar flying and making the swordswoman jump out of the way of the explosion. Roy whipped around, as Greninja slashed at him with a water blade. Roy blocked it, and grabbed its arm, before kicking it backwards at the charging Lucario. Lucario jumped over its ally and began attacking Roy with a large bone made of energy that it used like a staff. If Roy wasn’t mistaken, he’d watched a Pokemon battle with Red and he’d mentioned that the move was a ground type move called Bone Rush. It was trying to get a type advantage on him because it thought he was a fire type. Because it was…. steel and fighting, right? Or was it steel and ground? Roy couldn’t remember off the top of his head.

Suddenly, a strong pair of arms wrapped around him from behind. Roy tried to wriggle free but was caught too tightly in the powerful grip of Incineroar. A spike of panic shot through Roy. This was very bad. He needed to act fast. 

Reaching deep within himself, Roy cloaked himself in fire and unleashed a mighty blast of fire outwards from his body, blowing the Incineroar back. Roy stumbled forward and quickly picked up his sword and took a defensive guard.

The other Pokémon and their trainer resumed their fighting stance and closed in around him.

“Don’t kill him. We want this one alive,” said the swordswoman.

* * *

Mr. Game and Watch saw Roy escape the grip of some red bipedal furred cat thing that was probably a Pokemon, but he wasn’t sure. Either way, somebody needed to help out Roy. He shook his head. It was time to pull his trump card. He ducked under Dark Link’s strike and smacked him in the face with his frying pan. As the dark clone stumbled back, G&W stowed his frying pan in his dimensional pocket and took a deep breath. He began to growl as his form began to mutate, and grow larger and larger, into a larger mass. Dark Link stared for a moment, before pulling out his bow. He began to nock an arrow as a large shape began to form. He fired an arrow, but a tentacle shot out from the shape and smacked it aside.

“KILLER KRAKEN!” shouted G&W as the massive form of a 2D octopus appeared in the air above the battlefield. All of the other combatants turned to see the giant loom over Dark Link and smack him to the ground easily. The masked swordswoman gasped.

“Lucario! Greninja! Incineroar! With me!”

G&W glared at his opponents and took a deep breath and fired a massive blast of ink, blasting Lucario square in the face as it charged at him. He swung his tentacles as Greninja, Incineroar and the masked swordswoman, who attempted to dodge. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw the other clones disengage from their fights and run up to support their leader.

“It’s Game and Watch’s most powerful form! Watch the ink spray!” shouted the masked swordswoman.

“That’s _Mister_ Game and Watch to you!” boomed G&W. So, these kids were all going to take him on all at once. That suited him just fine.

G&W fired another blast of ink, catching Dark Pit off guard, and sending him spiraling off into the lawn of the Galactic Assembly building. Blood Falcon dashed right as Dark Link dashed left. G&W wasn’t having it. He swung his tentacles again, knocking both flat on their backs, before making a vertical swipe at the masked swordswoman. She sidestepped the tentacle and slashed through it with her sword. G&W recoiled in pain, as the masked swordswoman charged at him with her sword. He blocked the strike with one tentacle and smacked her away with another, sending her flying ungracefully into one of the columns of the Assembly Building. She hit the ground and lay there unmoving.

“LUCINA!” shouted Dark Pit. Her Pokémon and other allies ran up to her. They seemed to talk amongst themselves for a moment, before recalling the three Pokemon and rushing into the building. G&W took a few deep breaths before starting the transformation back into his normal form. He collapsed to his knees. Using that form always took a lot of energy out of him. Lucina, huh? Quite the pretty name. Shame it was wasted on someone like her.

* * *

Roy leaned on his sword, panting. Thankfully, G&W’s distraction had gotten the heat off of him. He had NOT been expecting that. He mentally scolded himself – he needed to be more prepared for this kind of thing. Megaman, ROB, and Pac Man rushed up next to him. He quickly surveyed the situation. Roy gripped his sword tightly as he saw their opponents flee into the building.

“C’mon! Before they get away!”

As they rushed into the building, Roy saw G&W attempt to get to his feet. He must have exhausted himself in the fight.

“Stay here!” Roy shouted. “We’ll get them!”

“Get ‘em good!” shouted G&W back to him.

Roy rushed down the stairs as the others flanked him. He saw the door swinging to one of the stairwells of the building. He rushed to the door, and bolted in. He could hear the sound of hurried footsteps beneath him. Roy glanced down the empty space in between the stairs and saw his fleeing opponents rushing downwards. It didn’t make sense. Why were they going downstairs? Had they dug a tunnel into the bottom of the building? It was one of the most secure bunkers in the galaxy, how on earth had they made it in there?

The pursuit continued down a floor, then a second floor, and then two more. Roy dashed through the door of the fourth basement level as another door at the other end of the hallway swung shut. Roy, digging deep into his endurance, hurled himself towards the door, and made it in just in time to see the door of a maintenance closet slam shut. That was a dead end. Why had they gone there? He approached the door slowly, as the others caught up to him. Sword at the ready, he placed his hand on the doorknob, and swung the door wide open. Dark Samus and Dark Pit snapped their heads towards him as Blood Falcon and Dark Link carried their leader through a dark, swirling portal in the back of the closet. The two fired a power shot and arrow at his respectively, causing him to duck back to cover. Roy poked his head into the room again to see Dark Samus and Dark Pit walk through the portal, moments before the portal dissipated into nothing. Roy leaned on the doorframe, and panted, catching his breath.

“Hey, Megaman, ROB? Did you record any of that?”

“Affirmative. Recording saved, as well as record of R-47 radiation,” said ROB.

“Good. There’s no way they’d believe us if we didn’t have something to show them. Wait…..R-47!? Where was that recorded!?” demanded Roy.

“The portal was emitting R-47 radiation,” stated ROB.

Roy ran his hand through his hair. This was a whole lot bigger than he’d thought.

There was only one thing that caused R-47 radiation.

That one thing was Subspace Energy.

And that was NOT good.

* * *

As requested, this report has been written as an analysis of the Super Smash Brothers, and how best to counter them. These individuals have been ranked on a threat level scale of 1 to 5. A ranking of 1 will indicate a junior or child smasher. A ranking of 2 will denote a smasher with a heavy emphasis on a non-combat role and does not pose as significant of a combative threat as other Smashers. A 3 will correlate to one of the rank and file combat smashers, one of “average” power amongst their Smasher peers. A rating of 4 will be reserved for Smashers with one very powerful ability but otherwise are average. Finally, a rank of 5 will denote the most powerful of the smashers. Full justification for one’s ranking will be included as well as a brief analysis of each smasher’s known abilities and pertinent history, as well as potential counters and strategies. Furthermore, as requested, an analysis of our allies will also be performed, and strategies to help them reach their fullest potential will be listed.

\- ???

Smasher: Roy of Pherae

Threat Rating: 5

The main reason that Roy is ranked so highly is because he is the lead tactician of the Super Smash Brothers organization. As such, it is his mind that is dangerous, more than his fighting ability. Despite this, he’s no pushover in battle, though without his masterful tactical abilities, he would ranked lower. Roy has led the Lycian Army to victory against overwhelming odds against Bern during the most recent conflict in the region. This feat is made more impressive due to the fact that his forces were consistently outnumbered by large margins for the entirety of the war. He’s been reported to have once won a battle while being outnumbered 100 to 1. Roy’s brilliant tactical mind is undoubtedly the driving force behind many of the Smasher’s successes. As such, he should be a priority target.

Removing Roy from the equation would cripple the Smasher’s ability to move and fight strategically. While assassination is preferable, Roy should be engaged in combat at any safe opportunity as his loss or even incapacitation would be catastrophic to the Smashers.

Should Roy be fought in a head on battle, it should be noted that he is a skilled swordsman and wields pyrokinetic abilities. My best analysis of his technique suggests that Roy uses a personalized balance focused sword style that draws from several schools of Elibian swordplay. As such, his style by itself does not have any major strengths or weaknesses. This is probably a strategic decision, and not a bad one at that.

A possible weakness presents itself with Roy’s baser instincts. He is a known flirt, so sending an attractive woman to fight him may be a viable strategy. It is also preferable to fight Roy when he is alone so that he cannot call upon their aid of allies and strategize with them. Roy is also known for his pyrokinesis, so any means of dousing his flames, like water attacks or a damp environment should be taken advantage of. Finally, any opening for Roy to strategize should be shut down as quickly as possible. It is Roy’s mind that is his strongest weapon and any means of preventing him from thinking could be key to defeating him.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you to everybody who read and left kudos last chapter! I greatly appreciate it!

Smasher Profile: Mr. Game and Watch

Threat Rating: 3

Mr. Game and Watch (G&W) is a fighter from Dimensional Town. One may look at G&W and think nothing of him, but to do so would be a tremendous mistake. G&W is versed in a wide variety of improvised weaponry as well as hand to hand combat, and his totally flat body combined with his middling height make him a very small target. However, the two things make G&W most dangerous are his experience, and his transformation, known as Killer Kraken. G&W is a venerable fighter, having been recorded as fighting in various conflicts up to 40 years ago alongside his longtime friend Pac Man.

This much experience makes him a natural team leader among the Smashers and makes him difficult to surprise and outwit. This is something that doesn’t really have a counter, with the exception of an attack or strategy that he’s never seen before. Due to his experience, it’s probably safe to assume that he’s most likely seen some variation of most tricks, so trying to trick him with something new is most likely a bad strategy.

As for his Killer Kraken transformation, G&W has the ability to mutate into the form of a giant octopus. This appears to increase the power of his attacks and also grants him the ability to spray ink in this form. This transformation also increases his size greatly, making him a larger target to hit.

To counter G&W, it has been previously recorded (see my report on the Tabuu incident) that G&W lacks weight and has a tendency to be ragdolled by large area of effect force blasts, like explosions or powerful gusts of wind. Furthermore, it is advisable to send an equally experienced fighter to face him to help level the experience differential. Finally, due to his age, G&W is no longer in his prime. As such, a long, drawn out battle is likely to exhaust him more quickly than a younger adversary.

Smasher Profile: Pac Man

Threat Rating: 3

Pac Man is a fighter from Dimensional Town. He is versed in hand to hand combat, and a variety of improvised weaponry. He also has the ability to turn into what is known as his “Chomper Form”, in which he transforms into a sentient yellow ball with a mouth. He’s been known to use this form to great effect. He is also known to be able to transform into a larger version of the Chomper Form, reportedly called his “Giga Chomper” form. He is also one of the older smashers, having been recorded as fighting in various conflicts up to 40 years ago alongside his longtime friend G&W. Similar to G&W, this level of experience makes him a natural squad leader among the Smashers and makes him difficult to surprise and outwit.

To counter Pac Man, it may be advisable to send a fighter who can unleash moves with a lot of knockback. Both the Chomper and Giga Chomper forms lack any limbs, meaning that it is more difficult for him to stopping himself from rolling if he gets knocked back. As such, he could be knocked back into a worse position, or perhaps environmental hazards. Pac Man also lacks any notable projectile attacks beyond a few throwing items, so a ranged fighter could pressure him significantly. Additionally, an experienced fighter may be able to nullify some of his experience advantage. Finally, like with G&W, due to his age, tiring him in a stamina heavy battle may be an option.

* * *

**Act 1: Roy**

**Chapter 2: Beneath a New Light**

Roy leaned back into his chair. It would still be a few minutes before the call started with the others. After making it back to the mansion, he’d quickly come to the conclusion that the other Smashers needed to be alerted quickly. He’d called an emergency council, which consisted of a select group of veteran Smashers. Which was why he found himself sitting in one of the chairs in the control room of Smash Mansion, right where he’d been talking to Lilina earlier that day.

This was probably going to require the immediate response of all the Smashers which was going to be quite the hassle. He’d most likely have to do much less in terms of rushing to arms since he was already at the mansion, but he’d also be in charge of coordinating things at the Mansion itself. Roy wasn’t looking forward to that. He turned his chair around to face Pac Man, Game and Watch, ROB and Megaman, who were sitting behind him, waiting to watch the proceedings.

“So. We’re up against Subspace again. As if the Tabuu incident wasn’t bad enough,” said Game and Watch, breaking the silence.

“Yeah, that was a nightmare,” said Roy.

“Hey, you were knocked out for most of that,” said G&W. “I was the one who actually fought during that incident!”

“Yeah, but I woke up to the biggest dumpster fire I’ve ever seen,” said Roy.

“Touché,” said G&W. “That was a disaster.”

“I agree,” said ROB. “Between the bad publicity and the overall damage caused, it was a tremendous blow to the Smashers. We should take every precaution to avoid a similar situation if we can with this incident.”

“No kidding,” said Pac Man. “I’ll be honest, I’m not sure how to feel about this one. On one hand, this could be a quick and easy opportunity to take down Ganondorf for good. But on the other hand, we could be looking at another Subspace War. And we don’t have any information to lean either way.”

“Which is why we need to get more,” said Roy. “We’ll see what the others think, but I think we’re gonna have to investigate more than the satellite scan we just ran.”

“Honestly, I’m relieved,” said Mega Man. “I’m just glad that the bad guys aren’t near Dr. Light and Roll…”

Roy nodded. “A fair point. I’m happy that they aren’t too close to Elibe. At least Lilina and my father should be safe.”

Roy leaned back in his chair and sighed.

“We need to be careful,” said Roy. “Every Smasher is important, and we don’t know how big this is yet. There are only so many of us. Our whole thing is quality over quantity. We’ve got greater numbers then we did in the past, but still, we can’t have too many people getting hurt or worse.”

“Like back in the Tabuu incident. I think it was just you, Master Hand, Crazy Hand, Young Link and Bowser who got hurt in that first attack, but we were hurting for manpower the entire time,” said G&W. “And also the kids getting lost behind enemy lines didn’t help either. We were looking for them for days!”

ROB nodded. “Indeed. It took quite some time to find them without proper support.”

“It would have taken longer if Red and friends weren’t able to fly,” said G&W.

“You know, I’m glad that all I showed up for was the final battle,” said Pac Man.

“Yeah, me too,” said Mega Man. “Though I might have been able to assist with the search.”

“Yeah,” said G&W. “Pac Man and Mega Man, you have no idea how lucky you were just showing up for the final fight!”

“If we hadn’t gotten Master Hand’s emergency beacon, we wouldn’t have made it in time,” said Pac Man. “It was an awfully close thing.”

“It was too close,” said G&W. “And we are NOT letting that mess happen again.”

“No, we’re not,” said Roy decidedly. “Though this time, it’s going better. For one, I haven’t gotten sent flying headfirst into a wall and gotten put into a coma!”

“Not yet, anyway!” said Pac Man jokingly.

“Well, thanks for the vote of confidence,” grumbled Roy. 

“Don’t worry, sleeping beauty,” said Pac Man, “You’re still awake this time around. No slacking this time!”

“Yeah,” said Roy with a chuckle. He glanced at the clock. “All right. Its time. I’m gonna set up the call.”

“Sounds good!” said Pac Man.

Roy settled into his chair and began setting up the meeting. Hopefully this went well.

It had been about 15 minutes before all of the attendees had arrived and it had taken him another five minutes to explain what was going on. The reactions were about what he expected.

“Say WHAT!?” said Link, eyes widened with shock and disbelief. He slammed his hands on the table. “Tell me your kidding!”

“I’m afraid not. This ‘Lucina’ claims to serve Ganondorf. Who’s somewhere along the line picked up cloning technology. And has also copied several of our fighting styles and taught them to the clones. The only person who didn’t appear to be a clone was their leader,” said Roy.

“This Lucina character. Have you run a facial recognition scan on the pictures that ROB took of her?” asked Mario.

“No matches, but it’s hard to tell with the mask on. These ‘Reclaimers’ also seem to have indoctrinated them all very thoroughly with the whole ‘oppressors’ thing. Problem is, I don’t know what we’re oppressing,” said Roy. “So, we still don’t have a motive. Other than Ganondorf trying to take over the universe again. As if that one time several years ago wasn’t enough on top of all of the times he’s tried to take over Hyrule.”

Master Hand sighed. He didn’t look happy through the video conference.

Roy leaned back in his chair as the connection lagged for a moment. Master Hand was leading a team deep into empty space to dispose of a Subspace Core that they had captured from Andross just over a year ago. Thankfully, they’d been able to get a stable, but still somewhat grainy connection for the Hand to join the council. However, it was still cause for concern that he was so far away in a time of crisis. 

“Well, this is most certainly troubling,” Master Hand boomed. “You were right to call this meeting, Roy. Can you tell us anything else about the warriors you fought?”

“All of the fighters appeared to be clones of various Smashers. Link, Samus, Captain Falcon, and Pit to be precise. And they appear to use the same fighting styles as the originals. So, they’ve got some way of copying our fighting styles on top of cloning technology. Even this ‘Lucina’ character reminds me of somebody,” answered Roy. “Can’t place her, though, but I got this strong sense of déjà vu while fighting her.”

“And she or one of her compatriots also uses the power of Subspace?” asked Master Hand.

“No, I don’t think it was her. ROB picked up R-47 radiation of the portal they used, but she was unconscious when they went through the portal. Judging by the dispositions of her allies, I doubt it was them either,” said Roy. “If I were to hazard a guess, I would say that somebody else created that portal.”

There was a moment of complete silence as the weight of what Roy just reported sunk in.

“So……how are we going to handle this?” asked Samus.

“I had ROB run a scan on our satellite network. We’ve picked up several hotspots of R-47 in four places across the galaxy. These locations are Lonely Isle near DK Isle, a location in a neighborhood just off Highway 287 here on Harmony, a location somewhere in Lost Woods in Hyrule, and a final location deep in the Grann Desert in Begnion,” said Roy. “I wouldn’t be surprised if that portal they escaped through went to the location along Highway 287. It’s probably more energy efficient to quickly open and close a portal to two locations on the same planet. It also makes sense that the hideout is in a suburban part of Harmony. Nobody would ever think to look there, and they could also attack Unity City quickly with another portal. I just don’t know why they’re attacking the capital so quickly. It’s a very bold move. If they wanted to destroy Unity City, they should have sent more than just 5 moderately strong fighters.”

“Well, we’re probably not the people to ask,” said Captain Falcon. “You’re the tactician. What’s your best guess?”

Roy shook his head. “Well, let’s set up a hypothetical scenario. Let’s say I were to send Pit, Ryu, Megaman, Corrin, and Marth on a mission. Before I go on, let me just say that I overall estimate those five as stronger than the opponents we fought today, but they’ll serve as rough analogues for this example. But let’s say that I was going to send them on a mission deep into enemy territory to attack the enemy’s ruling council. Why would I do this? I’m not trying to capture them. If I was, I’d send either Snake and the stealth team to capture them covertly. If I wanted to lure out strong enemy fighters, defeat them quickly and then escape, I would send a team of some of our strongest fighters for such a risky mission. This leaves two possibilities in my mind. The first is that they want to send some sort of a message. The second is that this is bait for a larger plan.”

“What kind of message could they possibly hope to send?” asked Marth.

“I don’t know. Bait for a larger plan seems more likely to me. Like I said, we’ve found R-47 hotspots around the galaxy. They could be traps. Either that, or this foe of ours is incredibly reckless or greatly overestimates the power of his fighters.”

“Trap or not, we need to investigate these locations as quickly as possible,” said Mario. “We can’t let these people just run rampant around the galaxy. Who knows what kind of havoc they might cause? We need to at least investigate.”

A chorus of agreement was heard.

“I agree. The question is, how will be investigate?” asked Master Hand.

“We could split everybody into teams and investigate all of the locations,” offered Captain Falcon.

“Yes, but if something goes wrong, there’s no one available to send backup. Also, we don’t even know who we will even be fighting and we could be sending the wrong Smashers to locations where they won’t be useful. I like the idea, but we should send smaller teams,” said Link. “We’ll have a group of backup smashers at the mansion as reinforcements as needed.”

“I believe that this is a wise course of action,” said Meta Knight. “It will help us gain information on the enemy without causing us to overextend ourselves. How shall we proceed with this in mind?”

“I can take the Comet Observatory to Harmony. That way, I’ll be able to take Smashers where they need to be and we’ll be able to mobilize quickly if we need to send backup to any location. Just have everybody report to Smash Mansion. I’ll also pick up all of the Smashers who live in rural areas, as usual,” said Rosalina.

“I’ll also bring the Great Fox. It will help to have another fast home ship available,” said Fox.

“And, as usual, the Halberd will also be at your service,” said Meta Knight.

“All right. Then the only question is who is going where?” said Master Hand.

“I’ll lead a team to Lost Woods, since it’s right in my backyard,” said Link. “I’ll take Sheik and Young Link with me, but I’d like to have a few more people. Optimally, if I could the Pokémon Trainers to go with us, that would be great.”

“I’ll go to DK Isle and meet DK, Diddy and K Rool there. I’m thinking I’ll probably bring Yoshi and Luigi too, for extra sets of eyes,” volunteered Mario. “We’re already close.”

“I can investigate at Highway 287. Just send Timberwolf Squad and Falcon with me, and we should be fine,” said Samus. “All of us are used to urban environments and most of us have nonlethal options if we encounter those clones. We’ll be able to capture them.”

“I’ll go to the Grann Desert with Pac Man and Mr. Game and Watch. I’ll pick up Marth, Chrom and Ike on the way,” said Roy. “Between all of us, we should have what we need to match just about anything.”

There was a moment of silence. Master Hand cleared his throat and said, “Listen, everyone. We know that our enemy wields the power of Subspace. If we can nip this in the bud quickly, we absolutely must.”

Marth asked, “Do you think that Ganondorf, or one of his subordinates has enough control over the power of Subspace to cause another cataclysm like the Subspace Wars of old? The Hands, Chozo, and Star Warriors still are recovering from that war from 300 years ago, correct?”

“That’s correct, though it is not just the Hands, Chozo and Star Warriors who are still recovering. However, I cannot say with only the information we have now. However, I doubt Ganondorf himself possesses such power. From what we know, it takes at least somewhere around two and a half centuries of mastery to even come close to reaching the devastating power that the old foes of the Subspace Wars possessed, and according to Link, Ganondorf is no more than 60 years old. That is correct, right Link?”

“That’s right,” said Link. “The official record states that he’s 58.”

Master Hand nodded and continued. “While he may wield the power himself, I don’t think Ganondorf has had enough time to grow that powerful. If it is one of his subordinates, like the ones Roy fought earlier, they most likely either are very low-level wielders. However, we need more information. If Ganondorf has somebody from a species with a long lifespan like a Chozo or a Hand on his side, then we may be in trouble.”

There was a pause. Master Hand paused and floated a little lower, his fingers drooping more than usual.

“While I cannot say for sure….I cannot rule out…..no, I truly hope…. that it will not come to…another Subspace War,” said Master Hand. His voice was quiet, burdened down with the weight of old wounds.

Rosalina cleared her throat and said, “Master Hand. Even if it comes to another Subspace War, we four veterans still remain. Furthermore, we won’t be as unprepared as we were during the last conflict.”

Master Hand sighed. “I know. The wounds of the last war have not faded yet for the Hands, I’m afraid. We Hands….no, all of us, suffered far too much in that conflict. And to think that I’m hundreds of light years from home destroying a Subspace Core of all things…”

“Do not fear, my friends. I will not allow what happened back then to happen again,” said Meta Knight resolutely. “My blade has not grown dull, though many years have passed. Should the threat of Subspace return in force, the Star Warriors will once again answer the call, as will I.”

“And my powers have only grown since then,” said Rosalina. “Surely, the same goes for Crazy Hand, Meta Knight and yourself?”

“Yes, we have honed our skills since then. But…I cannot help but worry. It will take us at least a week to make it back,” said Master Hand. “And the years have not been kind to the group of heroes we once fought with. But as you say, not all is lost.”

“Yes,” said Meta Knight. “We have the Smashers. And we also have the honor of fighting alongside many of our old companion’s descendants and successors.”

“I will fight with you, like my ancestor Anri, with Falchion in hand!” said Marth.

“And Hyrule will ensure that there will always be a Champion like Groose to wield the Master Sword beside you,” said Link. “I’m Ike and Roy and the others feel the same.”

“The Binding Blade is once again at your service,” said Roy.

Master Hand dipped a little bit as he floated in the air as a sort of bow. “I am honored that you would fight beside us. But this is not the time for such talk. For all we know, they are merely dabbling with a force they know nothing about. Let us hope that this is the case.”

“By the way, you did destroy that Subspace Core already, right?” asked Fox, taking a sip of coffee from his mug.

“Yes, it’s destroyed,” said Master Hand. “However, we’re still quite far out. We’re lucky that we were able to get a signal. We’ll be on our way back immediately.”

“A wise course of action,” said Rosalina. “We will do our best in your absence.”

“Yes, we will,” said Mario. “All we need to do now is to put out the signal to the rest of the Smashers to return to the mansion. Roy?”

“Hold on a second….” muttered Roy. He opened a different window on his computer and typed in a password. After a few moments of processing the computer allowed him access. Roy clicked on a few buttons on his screen before resubmitting the password. A window popped up, informing him that the message has been sent.

“The signal’s been sent for all Smashers to return to Smash Mansion to respond to an imminent crisis. We’re live.”

* * *

_Across the Galaxy…._

DK was reclining in a hammock, sipping a drink from a half coconut shell from a straw. The sun was meandering its way to the horizon in front of him on the beach as the sea breeze rustled through the foliage of the jungle just behind him. The water appeared red like a watermelon in front of him as it lazily rolled onto the beach in wave after wave. Suddenly, DK’s phone went off. He rolled over and grabbed it, expecting a complaint from Cranky or a meme from Funky. DK sat up as he read the message. Quickly, he rolled out of his hammock and barreled off into the woods. This couldn’t wait.

Shulk awoke to the sound of a phone buzzing. Groaning he rolled over in his bed, and reached for his phone, tapping the screen blearily. The buzzing didn’t stop. As he woke up a little more, he noticed that it was not his usual morning alarm. He grabbed his phone lazily and held it up above him, reading the text. He blinked. He hadn’t misread that, had he? He blinked again and reread the text. No, he hadn’t. He sat up, now fully awake. He looked at his surroundings. He’d need to pack fast.

Olimar tossed a ball into the air. His son caught the ball, adjusted it in his hands and threw it back. Olimar caught the ball with little effort and tossed it back. Near to him his wife and his young daughter walked near his wife’s flowerbed. He loved being here in his backyard with his wife and kids. It was a nice day out, with the sun nearing its zenith in the cloudless sky. His phone began to buzz. Olimar silenced his phone absentmindedly and threw the ball back. His phone began to buzz again, almost immediately. Olimar, rolling his eyes in frustration, pulled out his phone and his eyes widened when he saw the message. The returning ball fell near his feet.

“Daaaaad!” shouted his son. “You’re supposed to catch the ball!” 

Olimar pocketed his phone.

“Hold on, son!”

He walked over to his wife and motioned for her to talk to him quickly. She walked to meet him.

“Something has come up, I’m afraid…”

Dedede stared out across Dreamland from his castle. He took a deep breath of the morning spring air. It was beautiful. Sure, it had taken some doing, but Dreamland was prospering unlike any other time prior in its history. He chuckled. They’d said he was a bad king when he’d stolen all the food in the kingdom. That…hadn’t been his most inspired plan, in retrospect. But boy oh boy had he eventually proved those naysayers wrong. And he was very proud to be the King of Dreamland.

His phone began to buzz. He pulled it out of his pocket, and his eyes widened.

“Your majesty?” asked one of his guards.

“My goodness! There’s trouble afoot and they’re getting the Smashers back together! We got Subspace!”

“Subspace?!” exclaimed the guard in horror.

“Don’t you worry!” said Dedede. “I’m gonna clobber this Subspace fellow into next week! I can’t just let this guy harm Dreamland! What kinda crummy king would do that? I just need my hammer!”

Dedede glanced back down at his phone as it buzzed again.

“All righty. Looks like I’m gonna be out for a few weeks. Let Bandanna Dee know he’s in charge while I’m gone, all right?”

And with that, the portly king dashed off into the castle, shaking the tiles and windows as he thundered through the hall, leaving the poor Waddle Dee guard behind at his post.

“Uh…your majesty?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, things have been set into motion! What will the investigation teams find? Stay tuned to find out!


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey everybody! I’m back with the closing chapter of Act 1! Thank you to everybody who read and left kudos!  
> For this chapter, I’ll be totally straight with you. This chapter mostly exists to provide introductions for the majority of my reworked characters and my OCs. Hope you enjoy.

**Act 1: Roy**

**Chapter 3: Together We Ride**

The second basement level of Smash Mansion was abuzz with life as more and more Smashers arrived at the mansion from around the galaxy. It was home to the armory, a massive complex taking up the entirety of the floor. The armory was a part of the mansion that was more for function then form. The floors and walls were made of concrete, and various pipes ran across the ceiling. Though the insulated walls and ventilation system kept the temperature stable, it was still a large, cavernous room, akin to a massive unfinished convention center room. The room was broken up by four long rows of chain link cubicles, one along each wall and two running back to back straight down the middle. Each cubicle housed the gear, supplies and combat equipment of a specific Smasher.

Amid all the activity outside, Roy sat in his own cubicle, going through his gear in preparation for his mission. Thankfully, as a swordsman, he didn’t require as much preparation time as some of the other smashers, namely the gun users, and their endless magazines of ammunition.

Roy looked into his backpack, a large waterproof military style one that Snake had recommended. He began going through his gear. Long-range communicator? Check. Turns on and off? Check. Spare batteries? Check. The old ones were probably fine, but there was no need to be caught out in the middle of nowhere with no means of contacting the rest of the world. Three extra sets of clothes, including capes? Check. Backup set of armor and backup sword? Check. Emergency supplies and first aid kit? New and unopened in the bottom of the pack. Camping supplies in case the mission ran longer than expected? Check. Field laptop, with tactical notes, maps, and battle simulation software? Ready to go. Roy looked down at his arm on which he was wearing a sleek, form fitting, high tech looking glove. Instant Digital Deployment system online? Check. Roy sat up. That was good. Nothing had changed since the last time he’d checked five minutes ago. 

Roy leaned back in his chair and took a deep breath. He had everything he could possibly need. Why was he so nervous? The Instant Digital Deployment system, or IDD, let him digitally store, absorb and deploy farm more items then any backpack could, even if organizing his items within a backpack was still recommended. The device let him bring everything he could possibly need.

From the first moment that Roy had laid eyes upon the IDD, he’d known that the potential that it held for the Smashers was tremendous. There was a reason it had quickly become standard equipment for the Smashers. While some Smashers preferred to use their own item carrying equipment like Pac Man and his Dimensional Pocket, and others such as DK opted not to carry one at all, Roy was tremendously thankful that the device was at their disposal.

But alas, even that wasn’t enough to quell his worry. Who did Ganondorf have at his disposal? What other villains were they trying to accomplish? Taking over the galaxy was a likely given. But how were they going to accomplish it?

And all of this with Master Hand and a proper task force away. The task force included Crazy Hand, Joker, Luminary, Banjo and Kazooie, Terry, Byron, and Waluigi and his Piranha Plant. The two Hands being away especially hurt in terms of power and leadership.

Roy shook his head. Maybe he needed a walk to clear his head. It would be a few hours before they left. He could afford to do this.

As he walked through the massive rows of cubicles, Roy saw a group of Smashers sitting in the hallway. One was a young man sitting on a small stool in the entrance of his cubicle. He was a young man with short brown hair wearing a yellow shirt and jeans. His trademark jacket was hung up on a hook next to the door of his cubicle, a red jacket with white sleeves and an N emblazoned on the chest. He leaned against the chain link wall of the cubicle as he cleaned his blaster.

“Oh, but it gets better! So, this other guy decides he can get the jump on me, so he rushes at me with his knife. I see him coming, and I jump out of the way, right? So, as he goes past me, I stick out my foot, and he face plants hard. I put my foot on his back so he can’t get up and say, ‘You need to ground your expectations!’”

There was an awkward silence.

“Dude. You may not make it as a comedian, but you’re going to be a great dad someday. Your kids will never hear the end of the dad jokes!” said King Dedede from his cubicle, as he inspected the mechanical parts of his hammer.

“Yeah. You’ve got that right!” said Snake. He looked at the barrel of his disassembled SOCOM pistol. Satisfied that it was clean, he began reassembling his weapon. “Though you could really use some new material, you know!”

A dog with a duck sitting on its back trotted up to the young man and dropped an old, unwashed pair of socks at his feet. The dog stood up on its hind legs and began laughing at him while the duck quacked and flapped its wings.

“Real funny, guys,” groused the young man.

“What!? It’s a representation of the quality of your jokes!” chuckled Dedede.

“How did you make it in the military again?” asked Snake good naturedly.

“Hey, the great Captain N never gives away his secrets!” said the young man. His dog and duck walked into his cubicle. Captain N petted the dog’s head fondly as he reached for four bowls.

“Here Duke. Here Hunt. Let’s get you two fed!”

Duke perked his head up and began wagging his tail. Hunt hopped off Duke’s back and approached the bowls, spreading his wings to balance himself as Captain N began placing turkey into Duke’s bowl and pouring bird seed into Hunt’s bowl, while pouring water into the other bowls.

Behind them, several cubicles down another figure exited his cubicle and made his way quickly towards them. He wore a plain baseball cap with sunglasses perched atop his cap. A military balaclava covered his face, and his combat boots scuffed along the ground as he walked. He also wore two heavy duty IDD gloves over a grey windbreaker with red stripes, a more advanced version then the standard issue Smasher one.

“Hey! You guys seen Cordelia?”

“Nah, we haven’t! Were you expecting her, Packrat?” said Dedede.

“Yeah! She was supposed to be down here a while ago. I’ve even finished doing checks on all my sentry guns, and she’s _still_ not down here!”

“All of them?” asked Snake in surprise.

“All of them.”

Packrat spotted Roy.

“Hey Roy! You seen Cordelia?” asked Packrat.

Roy shook his head. “No, I haven’t.”

“She’d better hurry up…” grumbled Packrat. “She’s the one who wanted me to look at her powersuit.”

“Right behind you, silly,” said somebody suddenly from behind Packrat.

“GYAH!” shouted Packrat. The others laughed as a new person appeared behind Packrat.

She was distinguished by a ratty, but clearly well-loved beanie, which was perched proudly on her head. She cut an athletic figure with long running pants and a tank top. Her formerly white running shoes were a dingy grey, and a purple bandanna and goggles over her face gave her the appearance of a ruffian. Her belt holstered two pistols, itching for action. She also was wearing two IDD gloves.

“I’m going get you back for that, Cordie,” grumbled Packrat.

“Oh, I’m sure you will. But I got you good!” said Cordelia.

Packrat just sighed. “All right. Anyway, what was wrong with your power suit?”

“My jetpack came up with something on the diagnostic test earlier. Can you look at it?” asked Cordelia.

“Sure thing,” said Packrat. “Let’s go take a look.”

He turned around and walked back down the line of cubicles with Cordelia and entered one of the cubicles, one of four in a row with a stylized wolf head picture taped to the front.

Suddenly, somebody bumped into Roy.

“Gah! Sorry about that!” apologized Shulk. “I’m not really feeling it today! Lost Fiora’s radiator cap while checking her engine, and I had to go find it, and then Fox drank my coffee because he ran out, and then it turned out that one of the focusing capacitors on the Monodo was loose and I had to go take it apart and fix it…”

Shulk slowed down as he surveyed the situation. “Uh, what did I miss?”

“Captain N got roasted by his own dog and Cordelia jumped Packrat good,” said Dedede without missing a beat.

Shulk nodded. “Business as usual then.”

They all shared a laugh.

“Heh, weapon maintenance. Gotta love it,” said Dedede. “How long ago did you build that thing again?”

“I built the Monado nine years ago,” said Shulk. “One of my best builds yet!”

Roy nodded. Shulk’s skills as a mechanic and tinkerer were top tier.

“Yup,” continued Shulk. “The Monado is only two years older than Fiora.”

Snake shook his head. “Why’d you name your bus house thing after your girlfriend again?”

“Well, I had to name it something! And I wasn’t about to name it after Reyn or Riki, that was for sure,” said Shulk.

They all burst out laughing again.

Roy smiled. Ken, Ryu, Cloud, Captain N, Little Mac, Terry and Shulk all formed a sort of international group of biker heroes for hire on their home world. Upon being called by concerned citizens or local police, they would ride out on their bikes and assist with everything from defeating dangerous criminals, assisting with disaster relief, and providing general security. They also rode with charity events and parades. Well, most of them rode motorcyles. Instead of a motorcycle, Shulk drove Fiora, his bus converted into a miniature house. When Roy had first heard about them, he immediately knew that he had to invite them to join the Smashers.

Dedede said “Anyhoo, Roy, you look like you’ve seen a ghost! You doing all right?”

“Ah, just the nerves,” said Roy. “I’m trying not overanalyze everything to death, even if we have almost no information to analyze. Was gonna go stretch my legs and get my mind on something else for a little.”

“Hey, don’t let us keep you,” said Snake. He turned to an opened MRE near his foot and pulled out a packaged cookie. “You want one? These are the fresh ones! Only made a year and a half ago!”

“I think I’ve got some Maxim Tomato Ice Cream in the freezer,” said Dedede. “You can have some if you want. Finest in all of Dreamland! That should get your mind off it! Just don’t let Kirby see you.”

“I think I’ve got a stress ball somewhere,” said Captain N, rummaging through his backpack. “Oh wait, that’s just a ball of rubber bands. Eh, still works, right?”

Roy smiled. At least they meant well. “Thanks for the offers, but I think I’m good. I’m gonna take that walk though. I’ll see you around!”

“All right then, buddy!” said Dedede, waving. Snake, Captain N and Shulk waved as well.

Roy turned and walked out the door. Now that he thought about it, maybe he should have taken Dedede up on that ice cream.

Roy walked down one of the back hallways of the mansion, nervous energy still pulsing through his veins. As he rounded the corner into the hanger, he nearly bumped into Falco as he walked out.

“Whoa! Didn’t see ya, buddy! How’ve ya been?” asked Falco.

“Not bad. How about you? How’s the F Zero life?”

“It’s been fantastic, but Falcon is _darn_ hard to beat. Been keeping myself busy. How about you?”

“Same old stuff. Rebuilding Lycia after the war with Bern. Playing politics. The boring stuff.”

“Heh. Good old Roy. Anyway, I’ll catch you later. Gonna grab some lunch. Still gotta gas up my Arwing and clean out the thrusters.”

“All right! I’ll see you later!”

Roy sauntered into the hangar to see Fox take a swig from his gallon sized thermos, filled with coffee, as he cleaned out various parts of his Arwing’s wings. The hangar door was left wide open, letting a pleasant breeze gently gust into the still somewhat stale room. It had been quite a while since the Smashers had all needed to respond to a crisis. As Roy strolled through, he heard a voice say, “Hey, Skylark! Samus! Olimar! Fox! Can somebody give me a hand?”

Both Samus and Olimar poked their heads up, and Fox began to get off of his chair. Roy also walked over, curious. Roy rounded the corner of a large dropship to see a young man crouching next to the hood of his ship.

He wore a worn military helmet on his head, with a much newer pair of ski goggles hanging around his neck, though his balaclava was still pulled up. His trench coat, well-kept but showing the wear of many years, was a dull military green. The lower parts of the trenchcoat stuck out past his body stiffly, the only hint to an onlooker that the trenchcoat was armored. His jeans and heavy combat boots were in a similar condition, as were the IDD gauntlets on both of his hands. His utility belt held a well-worn pistol and a weathered trench shovel. Leaning up against the side of his aircraft was his partially disassembled sniper rifle that he had been cleaning and a technologically modified ballistic shield. 

“What’s up, Scrapper?” asked Fox, as he and the others approached.

“Looks like there’s a bird in my engine. Can I get a hand to get it out?”

There was a rustling of wings and some squawking. 

“Hold your horses,” said another voice from the back of the ship. A young woman rounded the back of the dropship. She wore a white windbreaker with a medical symbol emblazoned on both arms under a ballistic vest. There were also several pouches strapped to her jeans, each a different color and having a different insignia. She too wore a military style balaclava and she carried a military style helmet under her arm. On her belt sat a pistol and a med gun, both of which had clearly seen plenty of action.

“Not again, Scrapper! How many times have you gotten some poor creature stuck in that engine of yours?” she said.

“Oh, come on, Skylark!” grumbled Scrapper. “It’s not my fault animals get attracted to the warm engine after I turn it off!

More squawking was heard.

“It’s still alive? How’d it even get in there?” asked Fox.

“Probably through the gaps the feet go through when I land. The big question is how we get it out without hurting it.” said Scrapper.

“Stun laser? It won’t kill a bird, right?” said Fox.

“I’d hit it with my Stasis Beam, and then pull it out, but I don’t know if I can reach that far. It’s really backed in there,” said Scrapper.

Maybe we can arrange my pikmen to scare it out?” asked Olimar. “My red pikmen should be fine to get back in there.”

Samus sighed.

“You guys are so clueless.”

She quickly walked back to her spaceship and rummaged around in her lunchbox for a second. She came back with a corner of a sandwich. She pushed the others aside and held out the piece of bread in her hand. She made some bird like noises, trying to coax it out. After some time, the bird inched its way forward, and began to peck at the piece of bread. It eventually climbed into her hand. Samus slowly pulled her hand out of the engine, pulling the bird out. It got spooked as she pulled it all the way out of the engine, and took off out of her hand, making a beeline for the wide-open hangar exit.

Skylark sighed. “I would have liked to take a look at the bird. Make sure it was all right.”

Scrapper just shrugged. “It looked fine to me.”

“Seriously. You didn’t think to lure it out with food?” said Samus.

“I don’t think birds are fond of carrots,” said Olimar.

“Ok, I’ll give you a pass Olimar,” said Samus. She glared at Fox and Scrapper. “You two, though……”

“I usually deal with the animal after it’s dead!” protested Scrapper. “I only do conservation when I go hunting for invasive species!”

All heads turned to Fox.

“I don’t think birds are fans of coffee,” said Fox coolly, taking another swig from his thermos before sauntering back to his Arwing.

Samus just sighed and shook her head. Olimar just shrugged as the two returned their craft. Roy chuckled.

“You ready to rumble out there, Scrapper?” asked Roy, as Scrapper closed the hood.

“Just about. My ship’s ready to go at any rate. Found the bird as I was finishing my diagnostic test. Just need to finish cleaning my rifle. Samus wanted us to investigate the location here on Harmony, right?”

Roy nodded. “Yeah. You’ll be going with Samus.”

Skylark nodded and said, “Speaking of which, do we have any intel on who we’ll be fighting? What kind of injuries should I prepare for?”

“I’m afraid we don’t know who you’re up against, though you might be up against the clones I fought yesterday. So blunt force trauma, bladed weapon wounds, and laser burns.”

Skylark nodded. “All right then. Falcon’s coming with us too, right?”

“Yeah, Samus asked for him as well,” said Roy.

“That’s good, we’ll have two heavy hitters with us,” said Skylark.

Roy just nodded. “Yeah. Hopefully you won’t be encountering too much resistance there, but it never hurts to be careful.”

“No kidding!” said Skylark.

Roy grinned. “All right. I won’t keep bothering you. See you around!”

“See ya,” said Skylark with a wave.

Roy sauntered past Scrapper’s dropship and stood for a moment in the open door of the hanger. The fresh breeze tugged at his cape. It was nice. And with that, he turned on his heel and walked back into the mansion. 

After wandering aimlessly for some time, Roy found himself in the backyard of the mansion. He sat down on one of the lawn chairs, overlooking a pool and a patio area with a grill. He sighed. It was a perfect day to jump in the pool if the galaxy wasn’t potentially ending. Four shadows whizzed over him. Roy looked up to see the four people landing on the grass behind him.

Pit landed with a running stop.

“That was fun! It’s good to get out and stretch your wings every once in a while!”

A Pokémon trainer with a signature red vest and cap landed next to him with his Aerodactyl.

“Yeah! Aero’s been itching to fight! We’re ready to go!” said Red.

Another Pokemon trainer with spiky brown hair, a black shirt and purple cargo pants dismounted his Charizard.

“We’re ready too,” said Green. “That was a good idea to have Aerodactyl and Charizard warm up before we make a long flight.”

“Of course!” said Palutena, flexing her wings, before folding them behind her back. “It’s always good to warm up with one’s abilities! Just like hardlight manipulation!”

As if to prove her point, she created a small hardlight version of the Smasher’s logo.

“You have been practicing, right Pit?” Palutena asked, turning to her captain of the guard.

“Uh, of course I have, Lady Palutena!” said Pit, slightly sheepishly.

“Have you?” asked Palutena.

“Of course, I have!” said Pit.

Palutena gave him a look.

Pit groaned. “Only every other day. Come on! You know I’m really bad at hardlight manipulation! You’re a master! That’s not fair!”

“That’s why you need to practice and get better,” said Palutena calmly. “And anyway, you’re not so bad anymore.”

“Yeah, after decades of literally making no progress,” grumbled Pit.

Roy sauntered over to them.

“Sup, guys! How were the skies today?”

“Beautiful and clear, as it should be,” said Palutena. “Done with your preparations?”

“Uh huh. I’m killing time till we get going. I take you are as well?” said Roy.

“We’re all ready,” said Green. “Actually, ROB and Megaman wanted Indigo and Blue to look at something. Did they say anything to you?”

“No,” said Roy. “They didn’t. I’ll have to go and check that out.”

“Oh, before you go,” said Red. “I was just wondering, since we did a little reading on Subspace, and research on Pokeana about Subspace is scarce. Can wounds inflicted by Subspace weapons remain infectious with Subspace?”

“Infectious?” said Pit, sounding surprised and worried. “Nobody said anything about Subspace Infections! I’m not going to get sick, am I?”

“No, you’re not,” said Roy. “Well, not very likely anyway. The only wounds that appear to be infected by Subspace are ones inflicted by a Master of Subspace. And they don’t take over your mind and make you evil or something, I think they just prevent the wound from healing. So, it’s possible to have a wound infected with Subspace, but considering everything that we know, highly unlikely.”

“Whew,” said Pit. “That’s a relief!”

“Ok, just wanted to double check,” said Red sheepishly.

“Don’t worry about it,” said Roy. “It’s a good question to ask, honestly.”

Palutena smiled. “Don’t worry, Pit. You’ll be fine.”

“Oh, come on, Lady Palutena! You know I’m just being careful!” protested Pit.

Roy smiled. “Anyway, I’d better go check on ROB and Indigo and whatever they’re looking at. Do you know where they were working, Green?”

“I think Indigo said the control room,” replied Green.

“Right. I’m off. I’ll see you later!”

The others waved as Roy made his way back into the mansion. But Roy wasn’t feeling the jovial mood anymore. His mind was kicking back into gear.

Roy made his way up to the control room at a quickened pace. He saw ROB, Megaman, and Samus standing behind two Pokémon trainers, who were sitting in chairs and looking at a computer monitor. One was a young woman with long brown hair. She was wearing a teal tank top and a red skirt, with a white hat perched comfortably on her head. The other was a trainer wearing a dark blue windbreaker and baseball cap as well as a pair of khaki cargo pants. He had short cut brown hair and dark blue eyes. He wore an eye piece that sat on his ear as well as a Snag Machine that sat on his left arm. His backpack sat on the ground next to him. An Arcanine lay on the ground next to the young man, while a Jigglypuff and a Blastoise sat behind the young woman.

“Hey! Green said you were looking at something?” asked Roy.

“Yeah,” said the young man. “ROB was looking at this frequency here.” He pointed at the screen.

“Ok, Indigo, what am I looking at?” asked Roy.

“Well, as best I can tell, looks like Phazite,” said Indigo. “It was somewhat faint, which is why we had to filter it several times to get rid of the noise, but it looks like the enemy might be using Phazite?”

The young woman spoke up. “It’s not very strong though. So, they probably didn’t use any attacks that involved Phazite, but they had it on them.”

“Do you think that they were near a cache of Phazite beforehand and there was residual radiation from it on them, Blue?”

“No,” said Blue. “You could walk past a lot of things that emit some form of radiation and not have enough to reach the levels we are seeing here.”

“Which enemy was this scanned on?” asked Roy.

“My clone,” said Samus irritably.

Roy sighed, and thought for a moment. Samus was notoriously opposed to Phazon, or it’s supposedly safer form, Phazite. Roy could tell that she was irritated, worsened by the fact that it was found on her clone. That was a recipe for disaster.

“Don’t worry, I’m fine,” said Samus. “But I am gonna beat the snot out of this clone and get her to tell me where she’s getting the stuff. And then I’m gonna blast her cache into oblivion.”

“All….right….” said Roy slowly. “Just make sure to let me know when you do it. Cleanup crew and all.”

“Sure,” said Samus tersely before falling silent.

“Anyway, I think we need to go feed our Pokemon before we go, right Indigo?” said Blue after a moment of silence.

Indigo nodded. “I think it is. Gonna have a long flight ahead of us. Rosalina said was going to drop us off with Roy and the others in Tellius, so we’ll be flying to Hyrule from there.” He quickly saved the software he was using before shutting down the program.

“C’mon Jaws! Let’s go get lunch!”

The Arcanine jumped to his feet and followed his trainer out of the room. Blue and her Pokemon followed suit. Samus turned to follow them. Roy opened his mouth, but Samus beat him to the punch.

“No, I’m not going off by myself. But we will be seeing this Phazon destroyed,” she said.

“Yes, we will,” said Roy. “Just try not to do anything too rash out there.”

Samus sighed and shrugged. “Fair enough. I need to swing by my ship for something. See you around.”

And with that, she stalked off down the hallway.

Roy found his way back to the armory again. The area was mostly empty. Roy marveled at how different the ambiance was as he made his way through the area. He stopped by Snake’s locker. He really didn’t like the timing of this whole thing. The Stealth Team had just wrapped up a long undercover mission on Pokeana a few weeks ago. Optimally, they would have had a few more weeks to rest, but unfortunately the circumstances demanded otherwise. Thankfully, the Stealth Team was comprised of a hardy bunch. Often working with local law enforcement on large scale operations and dangerous missions, they already had helped bring down several large criminal syndicates. Led by Snake, the core team included Sheik, Corrinne, Joker, Blue, Indigo, and Scrapper, though they received assistance from other Smashers as needed.

“If you are worrying about the well being of the Stealth Team, I would lay those fears to rest,” said a calm voice behind them. “And should all else fail, know that the members of the Diplomacy Team are fresh for battle.”

Roy turned to see Corrin behind them, in full samurai armor, two katanas sitting at his belt.

Contrary to popular belief, not all problems could be solved with blunt force trauma. As such, the Diplomacy Team was deployed when peaceful solutions could still be reached. Corrin, alongside his fellow teammates Marth, Peach and Vaughn, had been able to finesse several tense diplomatic situations to great effect. And should the talks fail, it was worth noting that the samurai armor wasn’t for show. Corrin had served as a battlefield commander before, after all. Well, the exact same could be said for Marth. And Peach had more tricks up her puffy sleeves then most would give her credit for. There had been many would be assassins who had learned that the hard way.

Of course, there were other groups of Smashers whose skills lent themselves well to particular specialties. For instance, Roy, alongside Red, Master Hand, Meta Knight and Rosalina formed the strategic and tactical core, while Mario, Luigi and Isabelle ran the business end of things. However, the main two Smasher teams that saw the most actual field work as a group were the Diplomacy and Stealth teams.

Roy smiled. “Ah, of course. You certainly look ready to go.”

Corrin smiled. “I suppose I’ve been hankering for a bit of action. Tea time and diplomacy gets a little old after a while. I was looking for Corrinne, though. Have you seen her?”

“No, I haven’t. What did you need her for?”

“Oh, it was something that Ryoma wanted me to pass on to her. Nothing critical or important. Just a personal matter,” replied the swordsmaster.

“I’ll let her know if I see her,” said Roy.

“Thank you,” said Corrin. “Now, if you’ll excuse me.”

Corrin performed a small bow before going on his way.

Roy paused. Something felt off. He felt his stomach shift uneasily. He looked up and saw a small ball of water hovering above Corrinne’s cubicle. Roy shook his head and walked over to the cubicle. He opened the door, to see Corrinne pop her head out of one of her lockers.

“Is he gone?” she asked.

“Yeah. You’ve gotta stop using that trick, though. I’m going to be sick one of these times,” grumbled Roy.

Corrinne shrugged. “It’s a good subtle way of getting your attention. Hydrokinesis is pretty great. And the best part is that Corrin hasn’t figured out how to do it yet!”

Roy rolled his eyes. “You are prepared, right?”

“Yeah. My sword, bow and hidden weapons aren’t hard to get ready, you know. Everybody’s favorite Adventurer is always ready to lighten some purses!” she said with a cheeky smile.

Roy snorted and shook his head good naturedly. “Anyway, why were you avoiding Corrin?”

“I don’t feel like dealing with him right now,” said Corrinne with a sigh.

“Did you have an argument recently?” asked Roy.

“Yeah. You know. The usual stuff from Mr. Perfect Samurai there,” groused Corrinne.

“He didn’t go through the same things that you did during the war,” said Roy. “You need to remember that.”

He outright hadn’t. Corrin had been at the diplomatic table as frequently as he’d been at the front of an army. In contrast, Corrinne had spent a lot of time slogging through the wilds of Nohr behind enemy lines on a campaign of sabotage and misdirection. Corrin had feasted with nobles, forged alliances and built a legendary reputation, while Corrinne had gnawed at stale bread, fought against overwhelming odds, and garnered the moniker “Bandit Princess”, one that inspired more fear in her subjects then loyalty. The difference in experiences during the war had driven a seemingly immovable wedge between the two siblings. 

“I know. It’s just exhausting every time we try and see eye to eye. I don’t know why we even bother anymore,” grumbled Corrinne.

“What do you think was he wanting to talk about?” asked Roy.

Corrinne sighed. “It’s probably that necklace that Corrin’s been going on about. My mother’s necklace. He’s still insisting that I take it as an heirloom or something. I mean, I appreciate it, but he doesn’t have to keep pushing it on me. I’ll take it when I’m ready, you know?”

Roy nodded. “You never got to say goodbye.”

“Yeah,” said Corrinne. “I never did. Mother passed away shortly after I returned to Nohr.”

Roy sighed. “I’ll see if I can keep you two in different groups in the field if this turns into something big. Just try not to start an argument for now, all right?”

“I knew you were good for something!” said Corrinne gratefully. She kissed Roy on the cheek.

Roy kissed her on the cheek in return. “We’re still keeping this on the down low, right?”

“Of course,” said Corrinne. She hugged him tightly. “Stay safe out there, ok?”

“No, I want to go out and get myself killed,” said Roy sarcastically.

“All right. Try and get chopped to bits then. It’ll save on coffin size,” said Corrinne.

Roy chuckled quietly. “Of course. We wouldn’t want an open casket funeral.”

“I’ll make sure to give a tearful eulogy about how noble you were,” said Corrinne.

“I’m touched, truly,” said Roy.

Corrinne kissed him again. “Anyway, as much as I want to stay here, don’t you have to be off?”

Roy glanced down at his watch. A spike of panic shot through him. He was late. “You’re right, I gotta get out of here. I’ll see you later!”

Corrinne chuckled as Roy hastily rushed out the door.

“Good luck out there, hero.”

Roy leapt out of the elevator, his feet pounding against the floor of the top floor of the mansion. G&W in particular hated being behind schedule and Pac Man wasn’t much more lenient. He skidded to a stop, and walked out onto the Warp Star Balcony, trying to look a little more dignified in his entrance. 

He saw the Pokémon Trainers lounging next to G&W, Pac Man, and Rosalina.

“You’re late!” said G&W disapprovingly.

“I know, I know.”

“I think that’s everybody. Are we ready to go?” asked Rosalina.

There was a chorus of assent.

“Very well,” said Rosalina. She extended her hand, and a Launch Star appeared in the middle of the balcony.

Roy filed into line with the others, as Pac Man stepped into the Launch Star and was vaulted off into the sky towards the Comet Observatory.

Roy clenched and unclenched his fist. At long last he let his analytical mind kick back into gear. The enemy had made the first move. And it was time for the Smashers to launch their response.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Whew, that was a lot of characters. I’m going to cover everything here that couldn’t be explained in story. Sorry for the length in advance.
> 
> Concerning characters that have multiple variants, I will be handling them as follows: Olimar, Alph, Bowser Jr., Luminary, Standard F Inkling (Igrene) and Standard M Villager (Vaughn) will appear with the Smashers. The other Koopalings exist but aren’t Smashers and no other Inklings, Villagers, or Dragon Quest Heroes will appear. M and F versions of Wii Fit Trainer, Corrin, Robin, and Byleth will be present. Male Byleth has already been mentioned as Byron. 
> 
> The Pokémon Trainers deserve their own section. All of the Pokémon trainers from the Pokémon Special manga. I’ll be using them as characters instead of the Pokemon themselves. Red, Green, Blue are all canon characters, and Indigo is my OC from a previous Pokémon Special fic making a return appearance. The other canon Kanto Dexholder, Yellow and my other OC Kanto Dexholders, Orange and Violet exist in universe, but are not part of the Smashers. Basically, my Pokemon Special fic Pokespe Legacy and Echoes of Battles Past exist in the same universe. All Pokémon who exist as playable characters in game will belong to a particular trainer and will appear in the story. Pikachu and Venusaur (Ivysaur) belong to Red, Charizard belongs to Green (Oak, Professor Oak’s Grandson), and Blastiose (Squirtle) and Jigglypuff belong to Blue (Manga equivalent to Leaf). However, the other Smash Pokemon don’t necessarily to one of my four trainers, as seen with Lucario, Greninja and Incineroar belonging to Lucina. Who is paired with who? 
> 
> As I’m sure you noticed, the DLC Smashers are off on a different mission and won’t show up for a while. Also, Waluigi is here! Since he’s only an assist trophy in game, he’s been slotted in with the DLC fighters.  
> Finally, the OCs, Packrat, Cordelia, Scrapper, and Skylark. These are characters meant to fill roles that are not filled by the current roster that I thought would be interesting in a Smash adventure story. 
> 
> The only Smasher who got reworks that is not present in this chapter is Zelda/Sheik. She’ll receive a proper introduction in an upcoming Act. 
> 
> Also…there will be one surprise character who will be joining the Smasher’s adventures later on…..  
> If anyone has any questions about any of that, let me know in the comments so I can answer it. Other than the identity of the surprise character. Not much of a surprise if I just tell you who it is, now is it? 
> 
> Next time on Echoes of Battles Past – Act 2: Yoshi. See you all then!


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> All right! I’m back and ready to kick off the second act of this fic! Real briefly, each act will be told from the perspective of a different character, and this act will be told from the perspective of Yoshi. One last thing – thank you to everybody who read and left kudos on the last chapter! You’re all awesome!

Yoshi

Threat Level: 3

Yoshi at first glance may appear to be a standard member of his species, however, this would be a gross underestimation. Yoshi seems to fall in the middle of the pack, as far as Smashers go, in many aspects. He is neither overwhelming powerful or lacking in strength and he has no major weaknesses in any area. Rather, Yoshi is a Smasher defined by a solid, balanced fighting style and a compassionate heart. The hallmarks of his style include powerful kicks and headbutts, the ability to generate and throw eggs, create eggs around him for both offensive and defensive purposes, and the ability to extend his tongue and catch enemies with it. Yoshi is also known to carry powerups. His most commonly used powerups include the following: one turns his skin red and increases his speed, one turns his skin blue and causes him to puff up and float, and one that causes his skin to turn gold and grants him limited light manipulation. Finally, Yoshi also appears to have the ability to spit the juice of fruit that he eats at high velocities. By my rough estimation, the juice that he spits carries approximately the same force as a fire hose.

While Yoshi does not have any glaring weaknesses, there are some aspects of his fighting method that one can exploit. First of all, he has never been recorded using any overwhelmingly strong power attacks outside of those powered by a Smash Ball. Furthermore, as he is a user of powerups, preventing him from consuming them can prevent him from reaching his true power. Finally, as an attack against Yoshi’s psyche, threatening civilians or other bystanders may be a useful tactic, as Yoshi is known for his kind heart. Remember, Yoshi wins battles of attrition, not wars of power. If you have the ability to overwhelm him quickly, do so. Whatever you do, don’t write him off as weak. While he may appear unassuming, Yoshi is known to pull out surprise victories against powerful opponents, such as Kamek and Bowser. While the exact specifics of these victories are unclear, it is worth proceeding with caution when fighting Yoshi. Make sure you’re not the next sap he adds to his win list.

Mario Mario

Threat Level: 5

Mario Mario is a very powerful fighter. He has years of experience of fighting a multitude of enemies in defense of the Mushroom Planet. His list of attributes is a formidable one. He is a very skilled and well-rounded hand to hand combatant and is much faster and more mobile than his appearance would suggest. Additionally, Mario wields pyrokinetic abilities, and is armed with a pressurized water device known as FLUDD that allows him to spray highly pressurized water. It also doubles as a jetpack. Finally, Mario is infamous for is use of powerups. While I won’t be able to include a complete list here, be wary should he use the following powerups, as the following seem to be the most dangerous ones: One is a red flower that boosts his pyrokinetic abilities, one is a blue flower that grants Mario cryokinetic abilities, one is a metal flower that turns his skin metal, and two of his powerups are near identical looking mushrooms. One causes him to shrink while the other causes him to become giant. This second mushroom allows Mario to access to access his most powerful form, Mega Mario. Also be careful should Mario choose to stack powerups. For instance, during Ganondorf’s Invasion several years ago, Mario took on a Subspace Core powered Ganondorf by himself in the city of Ostia by stacking his metal form and ice form. This combination of powerups allowed him to contend with Ganondorf for nearly fifteen minutes. While the fight ended inconclusively, this should stand as testament to Mario’s combat skill and the power of his powerups. 

To fight Mario, be prepared to deal with a fist fighter who wields a variety of physical and elemental attacks. As such, it may be a good idea to attack Mario with a melee weapon as it may give one a range advantage over Mario’s fists. However, this is no surefire way to beat Mario, as he’s defeated many other weapon wielders. Another possibly way to get a slight advantage over Mario is to threaten either his brother, Luigi, his significant other, Princess Peach, or any of his friends of the Mushroom Defense Force. Just remember that this also not a surefire way to beat Mario, as seen in Bowser, who was repeatedly unable to leverage this advantage against him. Another note that may be useful is to bring elemental attacks or defensive abilites to counter Mario’s elemental abilities. This will mitigate one of the things that makes him so dangerous and give you a somewhat better chance of winning or surviving. Finally, above all else, it is imperative that Mario does not have the time to consume any of his powerups. Should Mario access one of his powered-up forms, do not attempt to engage him unless you have the power to match his. He is considered one of the strongest smashers for a reason. Treat him with extreme caution.

Luigi Mario

Threat Level: 3

Luigi Mario is the younger brother of Mario Mario, distinguished by a green color scheme as opposed to a red one. Luigi is known primarily for his specialty of Boo disposal but is also a proficient hand to hand combat specialist like his brother. He also is capable of pyrokinesis, however, his fire is green instead of red. While it’s unknown what additional effects this may have, it does not appear to be too different from regular fire. In addition to this, he wields a Boo catching vacuum device that for some reason is equipped with a built-in flamethrower, water sprayer and ice thrower (For the curious, I am also perplexed as to why these features are necessary for Boo removal). Luigi also uses the same powerups that Mario does. Finally, Luigi’s most powerful move is a technique of unknown origin, in which he generates a green field around himself. Being caught in this field seems to cause victims to have their movements slowed, and undergo severe mood swings, usually sobbing uncontrollably or experiencing a major panic attack. While there is literally no information on this attack, how Luigi uses it, or what it actually does, what is known is that the field expands out from Luigi in a radius. As such, if you notice a green field emanating from Luigi, get clear of it as soon as possible.

In terms of weaknesses, unlike his brother, Luigi appears to be quite the coward. While it would not be unreasonable to assume that he has similar combat potential to his brother, this personal flaw cripples his fighting ability. As such, it may be worth trying to scare Luigi to further intimidate him. Finally, what can be said for Mario can also be applied to Luigi, that being using ranged weapons, using shielding and elemental attacks and making sure he is unable to consume powerups. Just remember that Luigi is not Mario and will be a much easier fight then his brother.

**Act 2: Yoshi**

**Chapter 1: Jungle Japes**

Yoshi stepped off of a large, seafaring boat at the port of DK isle, waiting as a half dozen Toads moored the ship to the dock. Luigi sauntered off behind him. Yoshi looked back at the boat to see Mario following them down the gangplank. The ship was a fast, oceanfaring ship, commissioned by Princess Peach as a means of quick transportation around the Mushroom Planet for the Mushroom Planet Defense Force. And considering the call that he’d received yesterday, Yoshi was very glad that they had it at their disposal.

“So, you’ll meet us at the dock we’re at? Okie dokie, we’ll wait here,” said Mario, still on the phone.

Luigi stopped next to Yoshi. The green hatted plumber observed the area. “Well, this sure beats Bowser’s castle, doesn’t it?”

“Yeah. No lava pits, no deadly spikes, and fantastic weather. Living the dream!” said Yoshi.

Luigi grinned. “White sand and crystal beaches for once! I almost thought we were going on vacation!”

Yoshi took a look around the pier. It was a bustling place, with many ships docked, loading and unloading goods. The sky was clear with a few clouds floating high in the sky and the hot tropical sun beat down on Yoshi. The water off the docks was crystal clear, allowing Yoshi to see the sand below.

“Hey! Yoshi! DK said that he was going to be a minute, and I was thinking that maybe Luigi and I could pick up smoothies while we’re waiting. There’s a stand close by. Can you wait here in case he comes by before we get back?” said Mario.

“Sure thing!”

“Do you want us to pick something up for you?” asked Mario.

“Uh, sure!” said Yoshi.

“What kind?” asked Luigi.

Yoshi thought for a second. “Grab me Papaya Bananna, please.”

“Okie dokie! We’ll be right back!”

Yoshi sat down at the edge of the pier, his legs dangling over the water. He loved DK Isle. The warm weather, the laid-back atmosphere and of course, the delicious tropical fruits. He was glad to be back. If only they could be there on less dire business. Sure, it would be great to be able to see everybody. He’d made so many new friends during his time with the other Smashers. However, outside of occasional team training sessions, the only time they all gathered was for world ending crises. They seriously needed to start an annual picnic or something. He should talk to Master Hand about setting one up once this whole mess was cleaned up.

In a few minutes, Mario and Luigi came back, smoothies in hand. Luigi handed Yoshi his smoothie.

“What did you get?” asked Yoshi as he took a sip.

“Coconut and Pineapple smoothie,” said Mario.

“Lychee Shaved Ice,” said Luigi. “We don’t get much of the tropical fruits out in the Mushroom Kingdom. Gotta get them when we can!”

The bros sat down next to Yoshi and the trio enjoyed their drinks in the warm sun.

After a few minutes, a translucent beam appeared on the pier. A few seconds later, Rosalina zoomed out of the sky, slowing down to a stop as her feet touched the ground. As she did, DK, Diddy and Dixie came into view, coming around a pile of crates. DK waved as he lumbered down the pier.

“Kong Isle welcomes you!” bellowed DK cheerfully.

“We’re glad to be here!” said Mario cordially. “It’s good to see you!”

Rosalina smiled as the Kongs walked up to her and the other Smashers. “Are you ready to go to the Observatory, Diddy and Dixie? I’ve already picked up Ness, Lucas and Bowser Jr.”

“Yeah! We’re ready! Good luck out there, Donkey!” said Diddy.

Dixie also gave a thumbs up. “Get them good, Donkey! Don’t get hurt!” 

DK smiled. “I’ll be fine! Remember, a warrior is like a banana! Tough on the outside but sweet and kind on the inside!”

Diddy and Dixie nodded in unison.

“We know!” said Diddy.

“Yeah, you’ve told us that a hundred times!” said Dixie.

“Good! Make me proud!” said DK.

“We will!”

Rosalina nodded, and with a wave of her hand, a warp star appeared. Diddy stepped into it and rocketed off into the sky. Dixie stepped in after him and was launched into space.

“Take good care of them,” said DK.

Rosalina smiled as she entered the Warp Star.

“Your little ones will be safe with me,” she said before she also rocketed off into the sky.

DK smiled, and then turned to his fellow Smashers. “Well, let’s not keep K Rool waiting. Funky is watching him now, and I know he doesn’t trust him at all, just like everybody else around here.”

They began walking down the network of piers with DK in the lead.

Luigi shrugged, “After what happened, I don’t really blame them.”

“Yeah, but better relations with the Kremlings would be nice. Scuffles tend to happen when Kongs and Kremlings are present,” said DK. “I try to be the leading example, but the others aren’t quite following me yet on this one. And it doesn’t help that K Rool isn’t the easiest guy to get along with, though. It’s not like I totally trust him either, but things will work better if we are able to work together.”

“Yeah,” said Mario. “All that bad blood isn’t going to disappear overnight.”

“It will fade with time,” said DK with a smile. “Hopefully, that is.”

They fell into silence as they made their way through the town. Yoshi sidestepped a pile of crates and stepped over a large coil of rope. They passed by sailors and merchants, mostly Toads and Kongs with a few Koopa Troopas and the odd Kremling milling about their daily business. Every now and again, a sailor or merchant called out a greeting to DK, who waved and responded in kind.

After some time, Mario said, “It’s been a long time since we founded the Mushroom Planet Defense Force, hasn’t it?”

“Yeah, it has been a while. That was after that nonsense with Bowser in space?” asked DK.

“The second nonsense in space,” said Mario. “He finally saw reason when Bowser Jr. got hurt.”

“Bowser Jr. got hurt?” asked DK.

“Not badly. His ship malfunctioned and the engine exploded. It was a manufacturing flaw in one of the parts. Bowser Jr. wasn’t super close, but he still caught a bit of the blast. I think it shocked Bowser into realizing what he was doing.”

DK smiled. “I’m glad he saw the errors of his ways. He’s a strong ally to have.”

“I’ve gotta say, though, Peach almost didn’t approve the Defense Force idea. I’m glad that she eventually did,” said Luigi.

“She almost didn’t?” asked DK. “I mean, I don’t blame her, I just don’t think you ever told me about it!”

“Oh yeah, she did. Big time. She was a little worried about Wario and K Rool, but mostly about Bowser. You to some extent as well, since she’d only heard of the bad stuff,” said Yoshi. 

“Eh, can’t blame her,” said DK. “People who aren’t familiar with the Kongs tend to hear only the bad stuff, not the good stuff. But we’re not a bad bunch when you get to know us!”

“Yeah. Wario was one thing. Sure, he’s not the most savory guy, but he’d helped us in the past. K Rool was another thing. We’d heard bad things about him but the Mushroom Kingdom, but we never personally went up against him. But he seemed decent enough,” said Mario.

“Yeah. We were the ones who mostly dealt with him,” said DK, nodding.

“Bowser, though. She was very suspicious of Bowser. I really can’t blame her,” said Mario.

“Why did you include him in the first place? Not that his inclusion was bad or anything,” asked DK.

Mario sighed. “We couldn’t just ignore the Dark Lands. It’s too significant of a part of the Mushroom Planet to not be represented when much smaller places like Yoshi Island and DK Isle got representatives. We also had fought alongside him on a few rare occasions when we were up against a common enemy. He was a surprisingly effective ally, considering we usually were trying to kill each other. And from the interactions that we did have after the second time he went to space, he seemed much more subdued. He was a changed Koopa, that much was evident. So, we decided tha4t we should try for peace between the Mushroom Kingdom and the Dark Lands.”

“And now we race carts and play sports together,” summarized DK. They all laughed at that.

“How did you convince Peach, though?”

Mario chuckled. “That was the trick. It took a lot of talking and convincing. I think it was the representation thing that got to her. It would have been a PR nightmare if we hadn’t at least extended an olive branch to try and get a representative from the Dark Lands. And anyway, Bowser hadn’t done anything for three whole years. Toadsworth was actually really worried that they were planning something big, since Bowser usually had some sort of annual raid.”

“Gotta say, it all paid off on the end,” said DK.

“It paid off massively,” agreed Mario, taking a sip of his drink.

They continued their way through the patchwork of docks. As they rounded a corner, Yoshi spotted a pirate like ship bearing the Kremling crest. It sat proudly in the water, a splendid representation of the Kremling’s achievements. Funky Kong stood on the dock in front of the ship, casting distrusting glances at K Rool as he stood at the wheelhouse of the ship.

“DK!” said Funky, as the Smashers approached.

“Funky! Thanks for hanging around here! We’re going to be going soon.”

Funky flashed a grin. “Cool beans, dude! K Rool hasn’t been up to anything weird, at least as far as I can see. We’re all good!”

DK sighed. “Yes, K Rool shouldn’t be up to anything. Good work. Remember, you’re in charge while I’m gone. Try not to just let everything slide.”

“You got it, dude!” said Funky. “I’ll just wait here until you get out of port, if you don’t mind.”

“Not at all,” said DK with a smile. 

“Come on! Don’t just stand there! We’ve got places to be!” shouted K Rool from the wheelhouse.

“Better get going,” said DK. “After all, time may be of the essence.”

The Smashers boarded the ship. It was a moderately large seafaring ship. The hallways and rooms were tight, but not as cramped as it was on most ships, most likely to accommodate K Rool’s imposing build. As they made their way through the ship, they passed a few Kremling sailors. In little time, they made their way up to the wheelhouse. 

“What took you so long?” asked K Rool.

“The winds were against us on the way here. Sorry about that,” apologized Mario.

“Whatever, let’s get going. Whatever is at Lonely Isle won’t stop itself,” said K Rool.

“Agreed,” said DK. “Let’s get moving.”

The Smashers sat down in various chairs around the wheelhouse as K Rool took the helm. DK gave Funky a wave as they trundled out of port. He waved back at him, satisfied that his mission was complete.

Yoshi cast his gaze out at the wide blue yonder as they exited the port. He could spot a small grey shape on the horizon. Lonely Isle, and whatever it held awaited them. Hopefully, they were prepared for whatever lay in wait.

Just over an hour later, the ship anchored just off the coast of Lonely Isle. K Rool lowered a smaller boat off the side of the ship, and the smashers clambered in, leaving the Kremling sailors to man the ship in their absence. Yoshi felt a sense of foreboding as he stepped onto Lonely Isle. It wasn’t just lonely, something didn’t feel right. He glared suspiciously at the dense tropical forest around him as the others disembarked from the boat. K Rool pulled out his cannon in readiness and Luigi adjusted his Poultergust and fiddled with the nozzle. The others were feeling it too. Mario glared sternly into the forest and looked around at the trees. The forest was dead silent. The usual sounds of birds chirping and animals scurrying around were gone. Even the leaves of the trees and bushes were totally still.

“All right. Let’s keep it quiet. We don’t know where they’ll be,” said Mario.

There was ax chorus of assent. Mario pulled out a small rectangular device with a screen that Yoshi recognized as a scanner. Considering the mission, it would be calibrated to scan for R-47. Mario straightened his back, adjusted his cap, and began walking into the forest, scanner active. Yoshi cracked his neck and followed behind him with the other smashers.

The humidity was oppressive, away from the sea breeze. Yoshi pushed another branch out of his face, and narrowly avoided putting his hand on a tree with sharp thorns on its bark. He swatted at the cloud of mosquitoes around him as sweat dripped off of his nose, but it was in vain. The brush was thick, a frustratingly opaque visual wall and a somewhat thorny, slippery obstacle to forward movement. Yoshi found himself shoving aside branches and going around thick bushes at an agonizingly slow pace.

Eventually, K Rool said, “Enough of this! Let me go first!”

Moving to the front of the party, K Rool stepped forward and began slashing at the brush in front of him, slowly clearing a path.

“Hey, that’s not a bad idea, K Rool!” said Yoshi, as he stepped over the stump of a bush that K Rool had cut down.

K Rool grinned and nodded. “This is how we do it back home. Figured maybe we could get around faster.”

Yoshi grinned back. He could tell that K Rool often felt like the odd man out of the Mushroom Planet Defense Force. As such, he took every opportunity to try and make him feel more at home. It kept the harmony of the group intact. And it let him help DK a little by keeping K Rool in a good mood. The crocodile could be grumpy and irritable for weeks if provoked to boiling rage.

As the Smashers walked in the wake of K Rool’s deforestation efforts, Yoshi’s eyes caught a bright color in the trees. HIs eyes lit up. He knew a mango when he saw one. He reached out with his tongue and yanked it into his mouth. A little underripe, but honestly, he wasn’t complaining. He heard a snort next to him. He looked over to see Luigi chuckling and shaking his head. Yoshi rolled his eyes and spit the pit just in front of his nose. Luigi jumped.

“Gah! Don’t do that to me!”

“Keep it down!” whispered Mario quietly.

“Right, sorry,” said Yoshi.

DK tapped on Luigi’s shoulder and handed him a mango. Luigi took it and began munching on it as he walked. Yoshi looked around to see Mario and K Rool munching on mangos of their own. He smiled. Hopefully it would keep everybody’s spirits up in this oppressive heat.

After going some distance through the thick jungle, the smashers came to a small clearing in the forest, where several trees had fallen over, allowing the sunlight to reach the ground. Yoshi relaxed slightly. Finally, a break from the dense vegetation.

However, Yoshi had to stop abruptly to avoid bumping into K Rool’s back. He looked up and scanned the clearing. On the other side of the clearing, a tall man stood, his white lab coat creating a stark contrast with the green jungle behind him. He had unruly grey hair, and a large moustache. Yoshi tensed. He knew exactly who this was.

“Dr. Wily……” said Mario as he and the other Smashers stepped out from behind K Rool.

“Hello Smashers. I see that you have found my little island.”

“Yes, we have. I’m afraid that I’m going to have to ask you to leave the premises. This island belongs to the Kongs,” said DK.

“I’m afraid that I cannot. The Boss was rather specific that this island was to be occupied,” replied Wily. 

“The Boss now? I thought the great Doctor Wily answered to no one,” said Mario.

“I have joined a greater cause! I have joined a collective far greater than you could possibly imagine!” shouted Wily in a grandiose manner. “Under the leadership of the Boss, we will rule the galaxy!”

“I thought you and Ganondorf weren’t friends,” said Yoshi.

“Uh? We were never friends. I’m only tolerating him for the moment!”

“Tolerating……so Ganondorf isn’t this Boss then……” said Mario.

“What, you think I’d join a coalition led by Ganondorf or Egg Face for no reason? Hah! You really don’t know anything, do you? No…the Boss is actually worthy of respect, even if he works with such fools as Ganondorf or Egg Face!”

Mario narrowed his eyes. “So, what do you even hope to accomplish with all of this?” he shouted defiantly. “You’ll never be able to beat the Smashers! Our members have individually defeated all of your allies, and we outnumber you!”

“Feh! You haven’t beaten all of us. But it doesn’t matter! You are all doomed! You cannot hope to defeat a collective as powerful as ours! We will reset the world into a fair society! Where talent and skill like mine are recognized and not opposed!”

“And talent and skill are not recognized already?” asked DK.

“Talent and skill such as mine are hated and oppressed! Surely even you can see this!”

“You sound like a madman, Wily! Stop and think about what you’re doing!” shouted Mario.

“Hmph. And you sound like a naive optimist. We will rule the galaxy. You will never be able to stop……”

“Yeah, yeah, skip the evil speech and stuff. You’re really evil, we get it!” shouted Luigi.

Yoshi smiled. It was good to see Luigi overcoming his usual paranoia.

“Very well, Green Mario.”

“It’s-a Luigi….”

“What’s that? I couldn’t hear you, Green Mario.”

“My name is Luigi!” shouted Luigi. “You see this L? That’s for Luigi!” 

“I thought that L stood for loser!!” jeered Wily.

“Hey! Don’t insult my bro!” shouted Mario. “You’d better take that back!”

“We will see about that,” said Dr. Wily, raising his hand. Out of the jungle, dozens of Wily combat robots made their way out of the brush.

“Ready for battle!” shouted Mario, taking a fighting stance. Yoshi followed suit.

“Farewell for now, Smashers,” said Dr. Wily, turning on his heel, and disappearing through the bush.

Yoshi grit his teeth. It was time to fight.

There was a pause as more of Wily’s robots appeared. For a few moments nobody moved, both sides staring the other down.

Suddenly, Mario lunged forward, and all of the Smashers followed suit. Luigi chucked a number of green fireballs around at the robots. DK rolled under a few shots before crushing the chassis of a robot with a powerful punch, as K Rool fired his cannon at a few Wily bots taking pot shots in the back. A few bots tried to get close to K Rool, but were slashed apart before they could do anything. Yoshi hurled a few eggs at the Egg Bots and kicked down a few more that tried to rush him, before creating an egg around himself. He rolled through the massed robots, knocking down a few more.

After some distance, he burst out, and turned on his heel. He was now in the thick brush again, but behind the enemies. He quickly and quietly snuck up behind the back lines of robots. Through the robots, he could see the other Smashers dodging their shots and destroying the robots. He slunk up behind some of the robots and began attacking them. Surprised, some of the robots turned to face him. Yoshi kicked one in the face, knocking it over, before headbutting another one and crushing its chassis. In front of him, Mario blasted another robot away with a fiery blast, and DK punched another away. K Rool had put away his cannon, and was viciously slashing the remaining robots apart as Luigi destroyed a few robots with a Luigi Cyclone. Yoshi hurled a barrage of eggs, distracting some of the other robots, allowing for the other Smashers to defeat them.

In little time, the Smashers stood victorious over the defeated robots.

“Wait, that’s it?” asked Luigi. 

“Looks like it. I thought Wily was supposed to be dangerous…” said K Rool.

“Those were just some grunt Wily Bots. It’ll be harder going in, I think,” said Mario.

“Why’d he even attack us with such low level robots? He’s gotta know we’re stronger than that,” said DK.

K Rool shrugged. “Maybe he wanted to see who was going to fight him?”

“Hmm…..that may be true. But he could have sent some drones to spy on us,” said Yoshi. “He’s a robot specialist after all. Maybe he accidentally ran into us and just attacked us with robots to give himself time to escape?”

Mario rubbed his moustache thoughtfully. “Perhaps. I think we should split into groups. One group should see if they can find his base. If he’s on this island, it shouldn’t be too hard to find.”

Mario tossed his R-47 scanner to Luigi.

“Luigi, I want you and Yoshi to use that scanner to find Wily’s base. K Rool and DK, I’ll need you to get me back to port for the other part.”

“Uh, ok?” said Luigi. “We can do that! But why are you taking DK and K Rool?”

“It’s K Rool’s ship, so he’s there to sail his ship. However, when we get back to port, the Kongs won’t trust him if DK isn’t there with him,” said Mario.

“What are we going back to port for?” asked K Rool.

“To call in a few reinforcements. I think we need at least Megaman’s expertise on this one,” said Mario.

“You think so?” asked DK.

“Yeah, I do. I think we’ll want to call in some of the others while we’re at it. Some of the ones with more experience at fighting robots then we have,” said Mario.

“So, we’ll find the base and then wait for you and the others to get here?” asked Yoshi.

“That’s right,” said Mario. “We shouldn’t be too long.”

“All right. We can do it!” said Luigi.

“Meet us back at that beach we landed at. It should hopefully be far enough away from Wily’s hideout to be relatively safe,” said Mario.

“We’ll radio you if it’s not,” said Yoshi.

“Sounds like a plan. Good luck out there,” said Mario.

Yoshi swatted again at the cloud of mosquitoes that had formed above his head. Looked like he was getting the short end of the stick this time. “Yeah. Thanks.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> What awaits Yoshi and Luigi in the jungle? Find out next time as Act 2 continues!  
> Obligatory shameless plug: If you are interested in Super Smash Bros Fanfiction and Fanart, consider joining the Super Smash Prose discord server to meet like minded folks! The Discord ID is gDK48ua.


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey everybody! I'm back with another chapter! Real quick before I start, I want to clarify something real quick. In the first chapter, I stated that there was going to be extremely limited magic. What I meant by that was specifically spell casting. As I’m sure you’ve noticed by now, various characters have various powers that could be described as magic. I’m considering this just as power that these characters possess, and not a form of magic. Though somebody might see such powers as also magic, which is fair and which is why I’m clarifying this.

Donkey Kong

Threat Level: 3

Donkey Kong of Kong Isle is an old friend and opponent of Mario who is known for his immense strength. Emphasis on strength. Donkey Kong is one of the most physically strong Smashers, and any contest of strength with him should be avoided. He has been recorded throwing punches that can rip through 6 inches of steel armor plating and throwing objects that weigh hundreds of pounds. While his martial arts technique appears to be a form of Kong hand to hand combat, it does not seem that he is a master of the technique. Rather, his strength is so immense that even if he lands a glancing blow, he will deal significant damage, and his skill in the technique is merely sufficient to allow him to land bows consistently. In terms of ranged combat, DK has been occasionally recorded using a Coconut Cannon, a Kong weapon that fires coconuts at high velocities. He is also known for generating sound waves by clapping his hands or slapping the ground as alternative projectile attacks. Unsurprisingly, he is also known to play drums.

To fight DK, a ranged weapon user should be preferred. While DK possesses some ranged attacks, his true strength lies in close quarters combat, meaning that a ranged adversary would put him at a disadvantage. Furthermore, a very fast user of a polearm may be able to contend with DK. Any shorter weapon will not give the wielder a reach advantage due to the length of DK’s arms. Furthermore, speed is key as DK is far more agile then his size would suggest. For someone with significant forces at their disposal, it may be of use to try and surround DK with projectile wielding minions and fire upon him. While he is agile, he is only so fast, and this strategy would turn his large figure against him. Finally, it is worthy of note that DK does not appear to use any powers, weapons or powerups on a regular basis, except for the Smash Ball. As such, it may be effective to send a fighter that has access to special powers, as DK will have no answer to them. Whatever you do, just don’t try to overpower him in a contest of strength. That’s just asking to lose.

King K Rool

Threat Level: 3

King K Rool of the Kremlings is an old foe of Donkey Kong, and many of his feats of strength and power have shown him to be every bit the equal of his former nemesis. His strength is prodigious, though not quite on the level of Donkey Kong, and he is known to utilize his claws in a number of powerful slashing attacks. Additionally, while talking about K Rool, his defensive abilities are also of note. His thick skin is known to be resistant to a number of attacks, and he is also armed with an extremely durable chestplate that covers his chest and belly. While the exact metal alloy of this chestplate is unknown, it has been recorded to have taken an immense amount of abuse for its wearer, including direct punches from DK, explosives, lasers, and bladed weapon attacks. In terms of ranged weaponry, K Rool is also known to carry a cannon and performs the unusual practice of throwing his crown as a weapon. The crown also has been observed returning to him, most likely through a magnetic glove or a similar contraption. It should also be noted K Rool is an opponent who is more technically and tactically minded then his Kong neighbors. He is known to have a cunning streak, as seen during his invasions of Kong Isle. Do not underestimate him. Finally, while DK and K Rool used to be enemies, it would appear that the two have shored up their relationship over time, as the two are teammates on both the Super Smash Brothers and the Mushroom Kingdom defense force. To the best of my sources, it is most likely a futile effort to attempt to turn one against the other. 

That being said, K Rool is not without his weaknesses. First of all, K Rool is not a quick Kremling, as his large gut would suggest. While he hits hard, he is nowhere near as fast as his Kong rival. This, combined with his generous figure, makes him an easy, if damage resistant target. As such, powerful ranged weapons should always be considered when fighting K Rool. Just remember that he is capable of shooting back, unlike DK. Additionally, a close range battle should be manageable against K Rool as long as one has sufficient heavy armor or a shield to take his hits, though this is going to need to be extremely heavy armor. That being said, his primary weapons are his claws, and they will only do so much against a piece of metal. Finally, it should be noted that while Kremling technology is effective, it is a relatively new science. As such, it is likely that any Kremling tech that K Rool attempts to use may be quickly be shut down if exposed to electrical discharges. His gadgets are likely not electricity resistant, unlike other, more advanced technologies, like Chozo and Cornerian tech. While EMP attacks will be equally effective against K Rool’s electronics, such attacks are better saved for other Smashers. In summary, K Rool is tough, but not unbeatable by any stretch of the imagination.

**Part 2** : **Bramble Blast**

A few hours after Mario and the others had split off, Yoshi and Luigi were still slowly trekking through the jungle. The air was humid and full of bugs, while the ground crawled with ants. Every tree, bush and vine was wet and slippery from the intermittent rain showers. Yoshi was quite envious of Mario and his team at the moment. They got to enjoy the ocean breeze going back to DK Isle while he slogged through the jungle. But that wasn’t going to help him find this stupid, stupid base. Yoshi sighed, and continued moved as quickly as he could, scanner held straight in front of him. The signal was getting progressively stronger as they moved along, but the thick brush made travel horrendously slow.

It had been a while since he’d seen a fruit tree either. Snacking always kept his spirits up, which was why he’d already cracked open his stash of munchies. Already, he’d eaten three plums and given two more to Luigi. Thankfully, his stash was a big one – it took up almost a quarter of the space in his IDD. In contrast, another quarter of his IDD’s space used for his powerups, and his Smasher standard required supplies taking up almost another quarter of his space. The last quarter was empty space, in the event that something in the field needed to be taken with them. Yoshi was lucky in that regard. While his standard supplies included some standardized things like water and various equipment, Yoshi didn’t have to bring other things like armor, weapons, ammunition, or oversized tents and sleeping bags like some of the other Smashers. It left him ample space for his snack stash while still allowing him to act as one of the Smashers who could carry extra stuff in the field. 

And then there was his secret stash. That one didn’t officially exist, for obvious reasons. So maybe he had a little less water on him then he said that he did. Nobody would notice, right? Fruit still had water in it! It still counted!

Yoshi ducked under a leafy curtain of hanging plants and forced his way through the branches of another bush. He pushed another branch out of the way and saw a small clearing in front of him, where a large tree had fallen and taken a few smaller trees with it. Very close behind was a massive cliff face with a small waterfall cascading down into a pool from the heights. The stream flowed off in a different direction then the one that they had come from. Yoshi wiped the sweat from his face as he walked into the clearing. He sat down on one of the fallen logs. Luigi followed suit and plopped down next to him.

Yoshi deployed his third water bottle, half empty and guzzled down the rest of the water. Two more left. Well, before he started digging into his official water supply. This was just his snack stash water supply that he carried in proper thermos bottles, which kept the water cold. Yoshi took a look at the sky. It was about midafternoon. They’d better find this place soon unless they wanted to trek out in the dark. Next to him, Luigi poured some of his water into a handkerchief and wiped the sweat from his face.

“Ahh. That’s a little better,” said Luigi. “So which way are we going now?”

Yoshi looked at the scanner in his hand again. It was showing that they were getting quite close, pinging higher levels of R-47 radiation in a northeasterly direction. Yoshi looked towards the northeast and saw the cliff. He switched the scanner to the map function, and his eyes narrowed. The cliff that they were walking towards was actually a small plateau sitting in the center of the island. And it looked like Wily’s base was on the top of it. Just lovely. 

“We head that way. Northeast,” Yoshi said, pointing towards the cliff. “There’s a plateau on the top. Hopefully our base is there.”

Luigi whistled low. “That’s a tall cliff. And it doesn’t look like it’s going to be easy to climb. How are we going to get up there? Is it less steep on another side?”

Yoshi thought for a moment. “I’ll use a Blimp Fruit. You can catch a ride on my back,” said Yoshi.

“All right. That works,” said Luigi.

“Let’s sit here a few more minutes,” said Yoshi. “My legs are still killing me.”

Luigi chuckled. “So is my back. So many low branches!”

“I know, right?”

Yoshi just sighed as they sat there on the log. In the clearing, the humidity was somewhat lessened, but the sun was now beating directly down on them. He deployed his next water bottle and drank more of his water. It was nice to take a bit of a break.

The weather reminded Yoshi of southern Yoshi Island in the summer. It was hot, but doable for him. Luigi on the other hand wasn’t faring so well. He was used to the temperate climate of the Mushroom Kingdom. His shirt was already soaked through with sweat, and Yoshi knew that the humidity must be unbearable for him. All the same, Luigi was a trooper, and despite his careful, cautious and sometimes nervous nature, there was no quit in him.

Luigi pulled out the nozzle of his Poultergust and fiddled with a few switches. He pointed the nozzle into the air. Suddenly, water began shooting out of it like a sprinkler. Yoshi chuckled as both he and Luigi got sprinkled on as if it was raining.

“Ahh, that’s much better!”

Good old Luigi. You could count on him to be able to find a creative solution to things.

After some time, the ache in his legs began to dull. Yoshi pulled himself to his feet.

“You ready?” asked Luigi.

“Yeah, I’m ready,” said Yoshi. “We should get moving again.”

“Sounds good to me!” said Luigi.

Yoshi pulled out the R-47 scanner and oriented himself towards the signal. It was still coming from the massive cliff looming behind them.

“All right, this way.”

They made their way through the jungle for a short distance before reaching the cliff face, where the waterfall poured into what looked to be a deep pool. Yoshi deployed a Blimp Fruit from his IDD.

“All right. Let’s keep it quiet from here out. We don’t know how close his base is to the edge. You ready?”

“Yeah. Let’s-a go!” said Luigi.

Yoshi nodded at Luigi, who climbed onto his back. Yoshi popped the fruit into his mouth. Immediately, his skin turned light blue, and he puffed up, full of helium from the fruit. Slowly, he began to float upwards. As they made their ascent, Yoshi glanced downward. They had to be at least 30 feet off the ground. He gulped but kept his mouth shut. No need to lose helium right now.

They continued to ascend, slowly but surely the rocks and vines of the cliff passed them. Yoshi grit his teeth. Now was not the time for any mistakes.

A few tense minutes later, Luigi whispered, “Hey Yoshi! We’re almost to the top!”

Yoshi nodded and did his best to crane his neck up. He could just barely see the edge of the cliff. Yoshi started releasing the helium in his body as they reached the ledge. Luigi quickly hopped off his back. Yoshi let out the remaining helium in his body with a quick burst of compressed air before landing on the edge of the cliff next to Luigi. He pulled out the R-47 scanner and surveyed the area with it.

Yoshi whispered, “All right, we went in the right direction. Signal’s much stronger. Let’s go.”

Luigi nodded, and the two continued to move quietly in the direction of the R-47 signal. They kept themselves low to the ground, trying to avoid disturbing the foliage at all. It was incredibly slow going, but Yoshi could see a large clearing ahead. It had to be Wily’s base. It had to be.

A few dozen meters ahead, the two smashers stopped at the edge of the foliage. Yoshi was thankful that his skin had turned green again so as to blend in with the foliage better. He could see a few scattered patrols of Wily Bots marched around the cleared area.

“Looks like we’ve got our hideout…..” whispered Yoshi, as he made a marker on the map he’d brought with him.

In front of them was a moderately sized concrete building, with the Wily emblem painted on the sides of the base. It was no bigger than a 1 story house and exceedingly plain in make.

“Looks a little smaller than I thought…..” said Luigi.

“Yeah…..I wonder if there’s more underneath,” said Yoshi.

“I hope so. It would be terrible if we trekked through the jungle for next to nothing.”

Yoshi scanned the area, taking a few pictures with his phone for later.

“Hey, you think that robot saw us?” whispered Luigi nervously, pointing at one of the robots who seemed to be looking in their direction.

“Don’t know. Let’s wait for a moment,” whispered Yoshi.

The robot began moving towards their location.

“Maybe we should go,” whispered Luigi. “I don’t know if we can take on all those robots by ourselves if it sees us…”

“It might not have seen us. Stand really still and try to crouch low in the bushes,” said Yoshi.

Luigi shook his head but crouched down low in the brush. Yoshi followed suit.

The two sat in absolute silence as the robot trundled its way towards them. It came straight up to the tree line and scanned the forest. After some time, it turned around and began rolling back to its post.

As soon as it was far enough away, Luigi whispered, “I think we need to get out of here.”

Yoshi nodded. “I think we’ve seen enough. You’re right, let’s get out. We’ve found the base. We don’t need to stick around.

Yoshi began quietly making his way back though the jungle, following the river back towards the cliff with Luigi close behind. As they did, Yoshi pushed his hand against a partially fallen tree to balance himself. To his horror, the trunk began to crack. He pulled away his hand, but it was too late, and the rotten trunk fell over with a crash. He looked over at Luigi with a look of total panic in his eyes.

“GO!” he whispered loudly.

The two rushed through the jungle as fast as they could, stealth no longer an option. They could hear the robots behind them, coming to investigate the noise. Yoshi continued to move as quickly as he could but came to a screeching halt when they came to the cliff. Luigi managed to catch himself just in time.

“Oh no! Where do we go now?!” said Luigi.

Yoshi turned his head quickly. He could see the bushes rustling from where the robots were moving. They were getting close. He glanced over the cliff and took a deep breath.

He stuck his tongue out, pulled Luigi into his mouth and jumped over the edge.

Yoshi could feel Luigi panicking inside his mouth, kicking and probably screaming as the two plummeted down the cliffside. The pool at the bottom of the waterfall rushed towards him. After a few moments, Yoshi began to Flutter Kick as hard as he could. For a split second, panic rushed through him as the didn’t seem to be slowing down. However, as he continued to Flutter Kick, his fall began to slow, and he managed to slightly gain a little altitude just before he hit the water. It was good enough for Yoshi, and he immediately stopped Flutter Kicking. Spitting Luigi out, he fell into the water with a splash.

The two surfaced, sputtering.

“Mamma Mia, Yoshi! Warn me before you do that next time!”

“I would, but the robots were onto us. Didn’t want to be seen,” panted Yoshi.

Luigi sighed and looked around. “Well, all’s well that ends well, I guess.”

The two swam to the edge of the pond at the bottom of the waterfall. Yoshi pulled himself out and sat down on a rock. That was a lot closer than he liked to cut it. Luigi stood next to him, wringing the water out of his shirt and overalls.

“You know,” said Yoshi. “We found the base and that beach sounds really great right now.”

Luigi grinned. “The beach sounds pretty great! Let’s get out of here!”

Nearly two hours later, the two had made their way back to the beach, thoroughly convinced that the Wily Bots weren’t chasing them. Yoshi flopped down in the sand. He’d never been so relieved to feel the ocean breeze in his life. Luigi went down to the water and waded into the surf, cooling himself off in the ocean.

Yoshi pulled himself up and shuffled over to a large piece of driftwood, and he sat down on it heavily. His stomach growled. Yoshi deployed an apple from his IDD and took a large bit out of it with a resounding crunch. The sweet taste of the apple was a treat, as always. Yoshi savored it for a moment, before taking a deep sigh of contentment. This was what paradise was like, wasn’t it? Nice weather, perfect beach, no mosquitoes. He looked up at the sky. If only there weren’t a whole hoard of bad guys on the loose. He could stay here forever if he was allowed to.

Yoshi yawned and stretched again. He was going to enjoy it while he could.

A few hours later, Yoshi scanned the horizon again as Luigi paced restlessly. A small speck caught his attention. As he stared, he saw the sail of a ship as the sun drew lower to the horizon. Mario was nearly back. Took him long enough.

After some time, the boat anchored in the deeper water. The gangplank extended from the boat, and Mario waved from the side of the ship.

“Come aboard! We’re going to have a quick strategy meeting before we move out!”

As Yoshi borded the ship, he grinned as he saw who Mario had brought. Megaman and Sonic waved, as Bowser accompanied DK up the stairs from the galley.

“So, did you find it?” asked Mario, tossing him a sports drink.

Yoshi tossed him the R-47 scanner and cracked open his sport drink. “Yeah. Check the map.”

Mario opened the map function and rubbed his moustache thoughtfully. Sonic poked his head over his shoulder. “Yikes! That’s really deep into the forest. How are we going to get there?”

“That’s a good question,” said Mario.

“Why can’t we just walk there?” asked Bowser.

“It’s on a plateau through some of the thickest brush I’ve ever seen,” said Yoshi. “We had to use powerups to get up there.”

“So, we’re up against Dr. Wily, correct?” asked Megaman.

“Uh huh,” said Luigi. “Saw his robots crawling all over the place.

“Are you sure it was him?” asked Mario.

“The base had his insignia on the front door,” said Yoshi, passing his phone around to show the pictures he took of the base.

“And that’s why we’re here! Right Megaman?” said Sonic.

“Exactly,” said Megaman.

“So, back on topic, what’s our plan?” asked K Rool.

Mario turned to Megaman. “What do you think? You’ve fought him the most.”

Megaman thought for a second. “I think we should make a swift strike.”

“Why’s that?” asked Mario.

“If Wily doesn’t have all of his Robot Masters at this location, we don’t want to give him enough time to call them in.”

“How powerful are these robot masters?” asked Luigi.

“Probably a fairly fair match in a 1v1 against most of the Smashers,” said Megaman. “They’re probably weaker than the average smasher overall, but if they specialize in something that you’re weak against, don’t fight them. They’re not to be underestimated. Though Bass is an exception. He’s just as strong as me.”

“Then they will be worthy opponents!” said Bowser.

“Yeah, be careful. I’ve nearly gotten taken out by several Robot Masters in the past,” said Megaman.

“Duly noted,” said DK.

“Then the only question that remains is how to get there,” said Mario. “Anybody have any ideas? We’re working with a plateau in the middle of the island. It has steep cliffs on all sides.”

“Don’t worry about that,” said K Rool with a grin. “I’ve got this one!”

He went to the helm of the ship and pressed a button. Suddenly, the sails folded up and helicopter style rotors extended from the mast.

Yoshi raised an eyebrow, impressed. Kremling technology had been improving.

“Well K Rool, I was honestly expecting a catapult or something. Gotta say, this is a lot better!” said DK

“It’s the finest that Kremling technology has to provide in shipbuilding!” said K Rool proudly. “Let’s get this thing rolling! We don’t have all day!”

K Rool pressed another button and the engines whirred to life. The helicopter rotors began to spin, gaining speed, and eventually taking off from the ground. In no time at all, they were flying over the island.

In front of them was the large plateau that he and Luigi had scaled earlier. It seemed worlds easier, being on an airship. Well, it was worlds easier. And safer too, since K Rool’s ship wasn’t made of ramshackle stuff.

He looked down at the rainforest below them. It seemed so far away. All the better, in his opinion.

Mario and Luigi were looking over the edge of the ship, enjoying the view.

“Look! Ahead! Is that the enemy base or is that just a large rock?” shouted Bowser over the rush of the wind. He pointed towards a dull grey figure on the top of the plateau that Yoshi and Luigi had so painstakingly located earlier.

Yoshi began to deploy his binoculars, but he glanced over to see Luigi already scanning the horizon with his own.

“Yeah! That’s it!” he shouted.

“No wonder the satellites didn’t pick it up!” said DK.

“All right! We’re almost there!” shouted Mario.

“Hang on! Be ready to jump off and fight!” shouted K Rool.

The airship swooped in towards the plateau. As it did, one of the robots spotted them and raised the alarm. As K Rool maneuvered his ship into place, a crowd of Wily Bots amassed to oppose them.

Bowser grinned, and vaulted himself over the edge of the ship, pulling himself inside his protective shell, letting the shots bounce off of it harmlessly.

“Bowser Bomb!” Bowser slammed himself into the ground, creating a shockwave that knocked over nearby robots.

Mario, Luigi, Yoshi, Sonic, Megaman and DK leapt off behind Bowser. They plowed into the crowd of robots, dodging their laser fire, and destroying them with their various attacks. Mario, Luigi and Yoshi landed powerful punches and kicks to the robots, crushing them, while DK, and Bowser landed much heavier hits, sending the robots flying. Megaman fired shots at his opponents, while Sonic zipped around, dealing fast hits, and disorienting some of the larger robots. In very short order, all of the robots outside of the base were defeated. K Rool landed his ship in the clearing, small legs coming out of the bottom of the ship to allow it to land.

Megman rushed up to the door of the bunker and inspected it for a moment, before charging his Mega Buster and blowing it down.

“What was that for?” asked K Rool as he caught up to the others.

“Sometimes Wily traps the door, so you’ve gotta be careful. Thankfully, Dr. Light installed X Ray capabilities into my optical sensors,” said Megaman. “C’mon, let’s move!”

The Smashers rushed into the room. It was an extremely nondescript base with concrete walls and a floor. There was nothing in the room, except for a stairwell that seemed to lead to an underground hallway that went downward at a gradual slope.

The Smashers quickly moved down the stairs and down the hallway. Yoshi glanced at his surroundings in surprise. Megaman had always mentioned that Dr. Wily tended to have very metallic bases. This place, especially the bunker above, looked hastily thrown together. There were wooden beams holding up the dirt ceiling. He sniffed the air. While he couldn’t smell the telltale scent of freshly turned soil, the air wasn’t stale either. There was no way this place had a proper ventilation system with how rudimentary it was. The lighting was literally limited to lightbulbs hanging from the ceiling. It looked more like a mineshaft then a base. That meant that the base was a relatively recent addition to Lonely Isle. It was a good thing that they’d detected it so quickly.

Another group of robots rushed up to meet them as they continued down the mineshaft like hallway. Yoshi pulled himself into an egg, and rolled straight through the crowd, bowling over several robots in the process. He broke out of the egg to see Bowser tackle a group of robots, crushing them under his immense weight, while the others fell to the rest of the Smashers.

“C’mon! Before they can respond!” shouted Mario. The smashers rushed forward again. After dashing several dozen meters, they came to a wide open room. In front of them stood eight robots, each one with some sort of theme. Dr. Wily stood behind them, holding a computer, monitor, keyboard and mouse in front of a dark, swirling portal.

“Get them Robot Masters!” he shouted before stepping through the portal.

The robots lined up in a line. Yoshi stared them down next to Mario and Luigi. The other smashers stood alongside them, ready to fight.

“We will defeat you for the great Dr. Wily, Smashers!” shouted one who appeared to be made of bricks. “We are the Robot Masters! And I am their leader, Stone Man! And we will destroy you!”

All of the robots took fighting stances, as did the smashers.

“All right! Let’s get him, bro!” shouted Mario.

“Right with you!” shouted Luigi. Two Robot Masters clanked up.

“Then I, Stone Man, shall obliterate you!”

“And I, Star Man, shall dazzle you!” shouted an orange Robot Master with several stars on his body.

“Uh huh,” said Mario. He deployed a metal toilet plunger from his IDD into his hand. “Robot Masters? Meet the Septic Annhilator!”

Star Man began cracking up. “It’s a metal toilet plunger! Who brings a metal toilet plunger into battle? BWAHAHAHA!”

“The guy who’s going to beat you,” said Mario menacingly. “Now, are we just going to stand here and trade insults or are we going to fight?”

Stone Man raised his fists and took a fighting posture with a smirk. “I thought you’d never ask!”

Megaman tensed, ready to fight. Sonic crossed his arms next to him. “Hey! You guys gonna wait there all day or are we going to fight?

“You! I’m gonna destroy you!” yelled a blue Robot Master that looked like a diver.

“Calm down, Wave Man!” said an orange robot master with two drills on his arms and one on his head. “We need a strategy here!”

“No!” shouted Wave Man. “I’m going to obliterate these Smashers, Drill Man! Especially Megaman!”

Megaman merely readied his Mega Buster. “Bring it on!”

Bowser stepped up and roared menacingly. K Rool bared his claws and growled.

A purple robot with two rockets on his arms, his head sunk into his chest and another rocket launcher mounted on his head stood up to face them.

“You would be wise not to trifle with us. Perhaps you could leave this place? If you do not, I will be forced to obliterate you,” said the Robot Master.

“Oh of course. Because that worked last time,” said another Robot Master sarcastically. His head was also sunk into his chest but had spike on his head and was painted a dark shade of blue.

“It’s only polite to ask, Needle Man,” said the first Robot Master.

“I’m just pulling your leg, Napalm Man,” said Needle Man.

“Fat chance!” said Bowser. “We’ve gotta take you out! No hard feelings?”

“None at all,” said Napalm Man. “En Garde!”

Yoshi glanced over at DK. “You ready to take them?”

“Absolutely!” said DK. He punched his fist. “Time to bring the pain!”

Yoshi around up to see a robot master that looked like a heavily armored deep sea underwater diver. He was accompanied by another robot wielding two metal rings in his hands.

“I am Ring Man!” said the Robot Master with two rings.

“And I am Dive Man!” shouted the heavily armored one.

“And we will destroy you!” they shouted in unison.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The final battle of this act begins! Tune in next time for the finale of Act 2!
> 
> Obligatory shameless plug: If you are interested in Super Smash Bros Fanfiction and Fanart, consider joining the Super Smash Prose discord server to meet like minded folks! The Discord ID is gDK48ua.


	6. Chapter 6

**Sonic of Mobius**

Threat Level: 4

Sonic the Hedgehog is the well-known hero of the planet Mobius. What makes Sonic so dangerous is his speed. He doesn’t have the nickname “Blue Blur” for nothing. Its known that he regularly breaks the sound barrier, though it does not seem that Sonic is faster than light. This still leaves him in the running as the fastest person alive. Furthermore, Sonic is known to spin into a ball and attack his enemies. This is purportedly known as a Spin Attack. While it is unknown how he can spin very fast and hit targets with great precision, it is a staple attack of his that is known to break down the heavily armored machines of Dr. Eggman with repeated strikes. Sonic is also known to be a proficient hand to hand combatant; however, his style seems to be a loose collection of techniques from a variety of fighting styles. Sonic also does not appear to have any projectiles in his arsenal. Finally, Sonic has a powered up form, Super Sonic. What this form lacks in variety, it more than makes up for by increasing Sonic’s speed to greater heights and giving him a much-needed boost in power. This form is accessed by gathering all of the Chaos Emeralds or by using a Smash Ball. There is a difference in the transformation depending on the method used. It appears that Sonic can hold his Super Sonic form for nearly an hour when using the Chaos Emeralds, while he can only access Super Sonic for around a minute with the Smash Ball. As such, it may be of benefit to hold one of the Chaos Emeralds in one of our vaults to deny Sonic long-term access to this powerful transformation.

As for weaknesses, it should be noted that Sonic does not possess any particularly powerful moves. While his Spin Attack is strong, it is an attack that needs to be landed multiple times to bring down even moderately armored foes. As such, sending a heavily armored fighter to combat Sonic may be worthwhile, even if there’s a significant speed differential. Furthermore, Sonic wears no armor, and is known for dodging attacks rather than blocking them. This suggests Sonic is a glass cannon, and landing attacks on him, while difficult, may be much more significant then landing attacks on other Smashers. Finally, as Sonic’s strength is his speed, any strategy that gets him to stop running, to slow down, or to trip him up is a worthwhile strategy. This may be achieved in a number of ways, including traps like tripwires, slow or stasis fields, or hazards put on the ground like ice or caltrops. Just remember that any way to slow Sonic down is a good strategy.

**King Bowser of The Dark Lands  
**

Threat Level: 3

Bowser of the Dark Lands is a physically imposing fighter that has stood as Mario’s greatest rival for decades. While the two have made peace and are no longer enemies, it does not detract from Bowser’s power as an opponent. Bowser brings a number of powerful advantages to the table. The first is his fire breath, which he can amp up to a devastating torrent of fire. The second is his shell. While koopa shells in general are known for their superhuman durability, Bowser’s shell in particular seems nearly indestructible, having survived the vacuum of space, the heat of lava, and incredibly powerful hits from Mario. (Note: Before I go on, it should be noted that it doesn’t seem that Bowser’s shell makes him impervious to damage, but it does absorb a lot of damage for him. What I mean to note here is that attacks that are too weak will not harm him.) Finally, Bowser has prodigious strength, rivalling that of other hard hitters like DK or Ike. Bowser is no lightweight, and knows how to use his claws, teeth and spiked shell for a number of brutally powerful attacks. Finally, it should be noted that Bowser is a competent tactician, having successfully invaded the Mushroom Kingdom on multiple occasions. While one may question his competency due to his many losses to the Mario Bros, it should be noted that it took a tag team of fighters as strong as the Mario Bros to defeat him.

Despite his many strengths, Bowser is not without exploitable weaknesses. First of all, Bower is not particularly fast. While his speed has increased in comparison to his days terrorizing the Mushroom Kingdom, he’s still not going to be rushing down people faster than they can react. A fast enough fighter should be able to avoid the overwhelming majority of Bowser’s attacks without too much difficulty. Another weakness is Bowser’s limbs, which are not protected by his shell. While they are still scaly and can take punishment, they are not nearly as durable as his shell. While not a true “weakness” per se, it’s something that should be taken into mind when fighting Bowser. I will conclude this analysis by listing some ways to counteract Bowser’s strengths. First of all, bringing water or ice based attacks to counteract Bowser’s fire breath is advisable. Furthermore, wearing armor to help guard against his claws and spikes can also give one an edge. Finally, bringing any means of increasing one’s mobility like a jetpack or a grappling hook that will help keep you out of Bowser’s range and exploit his bad speed is worth considering.

**Ally Analysis: Dr. Wily**

Dr. Wily is a scientist with the technical know-how and creative mind to produce some of the finest robots the world has ever seen. His Robot Masters all pose significant threats to notable organic fighters, and his foresight and ability to adapt to his situation are incredible strengths. However, he is getting up in years, has never trained for combat himself, and relies heavily on his robots for combat purposes.

To help Dr. Wily to achieve his peak level of performance, I will suggest the following. First of all, I recommend picking up as much tactical skill as possible. While this is important for any fighter, it is incredibly important for Wily to remain out of combat, and a higher level of tactical mastery will help ensure that. Second of all, I recommend that Dr. Wily make consistent usage of his Wily Capsule. It greatly increases his mobility, durability and gives him the ability to engage in combat. Additionally, any upgrades he makes to it will only further increase his combative power. Finally, I recommend either the creation of new Robot Masters and/or upgrading of the current Robot Masters. These robots are powerful in their ability to fight on even ground with high level opponents. An increase in number or quality will ensure that they have the ability to succeed in battle. In conjunction with advanced tactics, Robot Masters will be able to corner off and destroy small groups of Smashers with ease. 

* * *

**Act 2: Yoshi**

**Chapter 3: Jungle Hijinxs**

Luigi’s eyes narrowed as his concentrated on the fight in front of him, the nozzle of his Poltergust in hand. This “Star Man” fellow, though a primadonna in every sense of the word, seemed to mean business. Thankfully, he was keeping up with the Robot Master. But he wasn’t having the easiest time.

Mario was really the better of the two for this. But Mario was fighting Bricks Man or whoever he was. Knowing Mario’s talent for fighting, the enemy was probably Passing Bricks Man right about now. He just needed to focus on fighting his opponent while Mario finished off the other Robot Master. Star Man fired another barrage of energy stars at him. Luigi hosed them down with his vaccum cleaner’s water spraying function. He had no idea why E. Gadd had decided to add the ability to spay fire, water, and ice in the first place to a vacuum cleaner meant to suck up Boos, but that functionality had saved him in more fights than he cared to admit. Especially in the old days, because that thing directly countered Bowser’s infamous fire breath. But these were different times. With far less annoying enemies.

“You can’t beat me, Green Mario! I’m the pinnacle of what a Robot Master can be! You are no match!”

Luigi remained in his fighting stance.

“Yeah, I’m not as strong as my bro. That’s just a fact. And I’m not as brave. But I’m not going to give up! The Mario Bros never give up!”

“Your grave, Green Mario!”

“It’s-a Luigi…..” muttered Luigi irritably.

“What’s that? I couldn’t hear you sniveling!” sneered Star Man as he charged at Luigi.

“Luigi! My name is Luigi! I’m my own person! Separate from Mario! I’m taller, I jump higher, I’m less fat, and I wield Green Fire! I’m a totally different person! Mamma Mia! Can’t you see that?” snapped Luigi. He stashed the nozzle of his Poltergust and charged fire around his hands.

“Green Fire Cannon!”

Star Man took the short range but fiery blast square to his overconfident face, and staggered back, smoke steaming from his head. Luigi relaxed his stance slightly. Maybe this wouldn’t be so bad?

Suddenly, the other Robot Master went flying in between him and Star Man.

“Stone Man! Are you all right? What happened?” exclaimed Star Man.

Star Man pulled himself to his feet as Mario advanced on him. “This guy’s unstoppable!” he exclaimed.

“You don’t have to fight us,” said Mario, pointing the Septic Annihilator at Stone Man. “Surrender, and we’ll make sure you’re treated fairly.”

Luigi smirked. Nobody took a metal toilet plunger that fired lasers like the Septic Annihilator seriously. Though according to Mario, it was great for fighting enemies who you didn’t want to throw too many actual punches at, like a robot with a metal chassis. That was probably why he was using it now.

“Never! I won’t let Dr. Wily down!” shouted Stone Man. He held his hand out. Stones materialized around him and he shot them at Mario.

“Power Stone!”

Mario pressed a button on the Septic Annihilator, firing the laser function. He managed to shoot down the first couple stones, before deflecting the other ones with his cape. Star Man began to charge energy to make stars, but Luigi pulled out his Poultergust and sprayed him in the face with the ice function, freezing Star Man in a thin layer of ice. The Robot Master broke out quickly.

“How dare you cramp my style!” Star Man groused. 

“Let’s finish them, bro!” said Luigi.

Mario grinned. “Thought you’d never ask!”

Stone Man and Star Man fired stones and stars at the Mario Bros again. The two dodged in unison. Luigi rushed in and slugged Star Man with a few punches and kicks. He grimaced. Maybe he should get his own version of the Septic Annhilator. His knuckles would thank him for it later. Star Man attempted to reply in kind, but Luigi blocked his strikes with ease. To his left, Mario jumped and flipped around Stone Man, avoiding his powerful punches.

Luigi dashed in and landed a powerful kick to Star Man, denting his chassis.

“How dare you!?” hissed Star Man, inspecting himself. “I’m beautiful! How dare you damage me!?”

Luigi rolled his eyes as the Robot Master continued to survey the damage. He grabbed his Poultergust, lined up a shot, and fired a suction plunger out of the Poltergust, which stuck to Star Man’s chest.

“Eh?” grunted Star Man in surprise. Luigi gave the rope attached to the plunger a vicious tug, dragging Star Man towards him. As he did, he charged Green Fire around his hands, and began to spin, arms extended out wide. As he did, a large green blaze of fire appeared around his fists.

“Green Fire Cyclone!”

“GEYAH!” screamed Star Man as he got hit by the spinning, flaming attack.

He was knocked back onto his back foot. Luigi, seeing his advantage, flared his green fire around his hands even more.

“Grand Green Fire Cyclone!”

Luigi spun for several seconds, creating a large green, flaming vortex around him. The attack illuminated the room with an eerie, unnatural green light as Star Man was sucked in and tossed around like a ragdoll inside.

As the attack died down, Star Man fell to the ground with a thud, steam pouring from all of the joints of his body. He didn’t move.

Stone Man turned. “Star Man! NO!”

Mario jumped into the air while he was distracted, high above his head.

“Ground Pound!” he shouted and rocketed down, butt first, crushing Stone Man into pieces.

Mario pulled himself to his feet amidst the broken parts.

“Mama Mia, bro! No need to go all out so soon!” chuckled Mario.

Luigi, panting on a knee, took Mario’s hand and pulled himself to his feet.

“Had to take him down somehow! Anyway, let’s go help the others!”

Mario grinned. “That’s the spirit!”

Megaman fired a barrage of shots at Wave Man and Drill Man while Sonic ran circles around them. The nice thing about Sonic was that he was so fast that he could easily dodge friendly and enemy fire with little difficulty. As such, he could put a ton of shots downrange without worrying about accidentally hitting his ally. He charged up a Buster Shot and fired it, narrowly missing Wave Man. Wave Man brandished his two arms, one armed with an arm cannon and the other with a harpoon, and fired off the harpoon. Megaman sidestepped it and fired off more shots as Drill Man took wild swings at Sonic.

“Get back here!” he growled. “I can’t believe we’ve got another blue nuisance on our hands!”

“You’re too slow!” taunted Sonic as he whizzed around Drill Man.

“SHUT UP YOU OVERGROWN BLUE HEDGEHOG!” 

Megaman switched his combat mode and pulled a variety of circular saws out of his arms before chucking them at Wave Man. Wave Man pulled up his arm cannon and fired a focused stream of water, knocking the Metal Blades aside. He rushed at Mega Man, and shot the harpoon again, but Mega Man activated his Flame Sword ability and batted the weapon aside.

Sonic suddenly rushed up behind Wave Man and shoved him, causing him to face plant.

“Hey!” shouted Wave Man indigently.

Drill Man revved his drills and lunged for Sonic but was not fast enough.

“Get back here! I get it now! If you’re not a robot and you’re blue, you’re a pest!”

“Mega Man is blue too, you dolt!” said Wave Man, shooting blasts of water at Mega Man as he got to his feet.

“Uh, if you’re blue, you’re a pest then!” growled Drill Man.

“I’M BLUE TOO!” yelled Wave Man. “Am I a pest?”

“I mean….I’m not saying you aren’t,” said Drill Man.

“Hey! Not cool!” growled Wave Man.

Mega Man relaxed slightly as Sonic stopped next to him as the Robot Masters stopped fighting to argue with each other.

“You just want to watch? This is pretty funny!”

Mega Man shrugged. “Sure, why not?”

“Remind me, who has a literal water gun?” yelled Drill Man. “At least both of my arms have actual weapons!”

“I’m specialized for underwater combat!” retorted Wave Man. “I’d like to see you do half as well under water!”

“Well I’d like to see you do half as well underground!” roared Drill Man. 

“Oh, you want to see my try?”

“Yeah! I would!”

Sonic elbowed Mega Man. “You think they’re actually gonna fight each other?”

Megaman shook his head. “I don’t know. Though something is strange with all of this.”

“Why’s that?” asked Sonic as the two Robot Masters continued to argue.

“They’re too weak,” said Mega Man.

“What?”

“They’re too weak. They should be more powerful than this. It’s like Wily sent cut rate versions of the usual Robot Masters. Did he run out of time to make them or something?” said Mega Man. “The fight should be a whole lot more intense.”

“HEY! WHO ARE YOU CALLING CUT RATE?!?!?” bellowed Wave Man, pointing at Mega Man.

“You! He’s calling you cut rate!” said Sonic.

“HOW DARE YOU!” screamed Drill Man. “I’M NOT CUT RATE, YOU ARE!”

“Umm….”

“THAT’S IT! NOW YOU’RE REALLY IN FOR IT!” howled Wave Man. He rushed at Mega Man, shooting his harpoon and his water cannon.

“Leaf Shield!” shouted Mega Man. A number of leaves appeared around him, deflecting the harpoon and water shots.

Sonic rushed at Drill Man with a Spin Dash and bowled him over. He jumped into the air and landed a flying kick as he dropped to the ground.

“Gah! I’m getting you for that!” shouted Drill Man as he tried to climb to his feet.

Sonic began Spin Dashing again but began charging his attack this time.

“Super Spin Dash!” he shouted as a faint blue aura began forming around him. He slammed into Drill Man’s chassis and shot out the other side, a blue trail behind him.

“Drill Man!” shouted Wave Man in a panic.

“Crash Bomber!” shouted Mega Man, shooting an explosive at Wave Man. It stuck to the Robot Master on contact.

“No!” shouted Wave Man. Mega Man fired two more Crash Bombers at Wave Man before all three exploded into one massive fireball.

Mega Man lowered his arm cannon as pieces of Wave Man tumbled to the ground. A blue blur slowed down to reveal Sonic coming to a running stop next to him.

“Hey! Not too bad! You’re pretty good at this!”

Mega Man grinned. “It’s my job. Can you go help out the others? I’m gonna look at these Robot Masters, see if I can learn something about them. Something seems off.”

Sonic flashed a thumbs up. “No problem, buddy!”

And with that, he dashed off. 

Bowser breathed a plume of fire as Napalm Man fired a barrage of homing missiles at him. The fire intercepted the missiles and caused them to explode, obscuring the area in smoke. K Rool took cover behind Bowser and returned fire with his blunderbuss. Needle Man shot several needles at Bowser, who bared his claws and knocked them aside. Bowser pulled himself into his shell and whirled his way at Napalm Man.

“Whirling Fortress!”

Napalm Man fired more missiles at Bowser, but they exploded harmlessly on his shell and he was sent flying as Bowser crashed into him. Needle Man shot another barrage of needles at K Rool, who rolled out of the way. Landing on his feet, and slinging his blunderbuss over his shoulder, he rushed at Needle Man on all fours. Needle Man stepped back a few steps, before brandishing the needles on his arms and head, and rushing at K Rool. K Rool, seeing this, raised his arms and caught Needle Man by the arms holding him back.

“Grrr…I won’t lose!” grunted Needle Man as he tried to overpower K Rool.

K Rool shifted his weight on one leg and sidestepped quickly, letting Needle Man go.

Needle Man stumbled forward several steps. K Rool lunged for him, claws at the ready, but Needle Man recovered his balance and managed to avoid K Rool with a quick roll. He fired a few spikes as he walked in a wide circle, rounding his way back to where Napalm Man had backed off to. The other Robot Master was still shooting missiles at Bowser to little effect. Needle Man continued to shoot spikes as K Rool blocked them with swipes of his claws. A few of the spikes bounced off K Rool’s chestplate, having escaped the claws but doing no harm to him.

Bowser skidded to a halt near K Rool. “Hah! You think that’s enough to beat me?” he shouted.

“If you think that’s all I’ve got, you’re sadly mistaken!” shouted Napalm Man.

K Rool relaxed slightly as Bowser retorted, “If you think that’s all _I’ve_ got then _you’re_ sadly mistaken!”

He turned to K Rool. “Eh? What’s with you letting that guy live for so long?”

“I’m just curious to see how long spiky guy is gonna waste time shooting those needles at me. I don’t think he’s actually got anything that can hurt me,” said K Rool loudly so that Needle Man would hear him.

“I’m more than powerful enough to kill you! And don’t you forget it!” roared Needle Man, clearly irritated by the comment.

“Right. Of course,” muttered K Rool. He turned to Bowser. “Anyway, let’s finish these jokers off. I don’t have all day.”

“Hah! Good old K Rool! Straight and to the point. Let’s do this!” said Bowser enthusiastically. He rushed towards Napalm Man, who had been watching him carefully. He began firing missiles at Bowser. To his noticeable surprise, Bowser began zig zagging to avoid the missiles. K Rool allowed himself a small smile. He had an image to keep and a level of professionalism he needed to stick to, especially due to his former reputation and the former reputation of the Kremlings, but watching people react to Bowser’s surprising level of agility never got old.

Napalm Man activated a thruster on his back to avoid Bowser, who had jumped forward to tackle him. Napalm Man got his feet under him and tried to fire more missiles, but Bowser just pulled himself into his shell and began whirling, letting the missiles harmlessly explode on his shell.

K Rool caught a flash out of the corner of his eye and sidestepped a few spikes from Needle Man. K Rool unslung his blunderbuss again and fired several cannonballs at Needle Man. The Robot Master hurled precise barrages of needles in return, countering the cannonballs. Needle Man then lowered his head and began rushing at K Rool like a bull.

“Spiky Rush!”

K Rool pushed a button on his arm and two helicopter rotors deployed from a backpack he was wearing. He jumped in the air and activated the rotors, just avoiding Needle Man’s charge. He guided himself to where Needle Man began to slow down. He deactivated the rotors and landed with a massive belly flop.

“Crocodile Crusher!”

He landed belly first on Needle Man, smashing him beneath his weight. K Rool got to his feet and jumped into the air again. There was nothing wrong with doing it again just to be sure that he destroyed the Robot Master. 

“Crocodile Crusher!”

Needle Man attempted to roll over and shoot needles at K Rool as he shot down towards him, but the Robot Master was too badly damaged to properly move, and he was crushed underneath the Kremling.

K Rool looked up to see Naplam Man use the rocket on his back to boost out of the way of Bowser’s fire breath. The Robot Master stopped to fire missiles as Bowser rushed at him. Napalm Man tried to dodge, but Bowser was already on top of him. Bowser grabbed Napalm Man and jumped into the air.

“Flying Slam!”

Bowser landed on Napalm Man with a heavy impact. Bowser jumped into the air again.

“Bowser Bomb!”

As Bowser impacted Napalm Man, a massive explosion from Napalm Man’s reserved rockets engulfed them. As the smoke cleared. K Rool could see Bowser getting up.

“Hey! You’re done too!” said Bowser. “You beat me to the punch!”

K Rool grinned. “I guess I did.”

“Well, what are you waiting for?” said Bowser. “Let’s go finish off the other ones and let’s get out of here!”

Yoshi tensed for a moment, as did DK. The Robot Masters took a fighting stance. Looking to his side, Yoshi could see the Robot Masters each squaring off against the other smashers. He clenched his fists and waited for his opponents to move.

Dive Man suddenly fired several missiles out of his chest at Yoshi. Ring Man followed it up by hurling his rings as well. Yoshi pulled himself into an egg and rolled out of the way of the attacks and burst out to see Dive Man charging straight at him. Yoshi ducked aside, as DK stepped forward and began grappling with the robot.

Suddenly, Ring Man was rushing at him again, slashing at Yoshi with his bladed throwing rings. Yoshi dodged the strike, and managed to catch Ring Man with his tongue, swallowing him and pooping out an egg. He picked up the egg and hurled it at Dive Man, who was stumbling backwards, having gotten the worse end of the encounter with DK. The two collided, and landed hard, rolling a few feet each.

Yoshi took the opening to reach into his pocket, pull out a Dash Pepper, and gulp it down. He felt a new surge of energy rush through him as his skin turned red from the effects of the pepper. Dive Man, back on his feet, fired another barrage of missiles at Yoshi. This time, Yoshi dashed through the barrage of missiles at an amazing speed and landed a flurry of kicks to Dive Man’s face, knocking him back down. He ducked under Ring Man’s throwing rings and caught the Robot Master with his tongue, dragging him towards him. At the last second, Yoshi let go and landed a powerful headbutt to Ring Man’s face, dodging the rings as they returned to Ring Man. Apparently, they acted as boomerangs as well? Yoshi looked to his side and saw Dive Man aiming his rocket launcher at him. He backflipped over a pair of missiles and landed about a few meters away. The two Robot Masters got to their feet as Yoshi backed up to where DK was.

“C’mon! We’re better than this! We can’t just these Smashers beat us!” yelled Ring Man at his partner.

“Hey! Why aren’t you doing any better! You’re the one specially designed for combat!” growled Dive Man.

“And you’re the one with missiles who can’t beat an unarmed dinosaur and an unarmed monkey!” hissed Ring Man.

Yoshi took the moment to catch his breath. “How are you doing against that other guy?” he asked DK.

“Not too bad,” said DK. “You’re cracking out your powerups already – do you want to switch?”

Yoshi paused for a second. He’d gotten carried away because he was nervous and rushed for the attack. Yoshi shook his head. “I’m just rushed and little tired after hiking earlier today.”

“You sure?” asked DK.

“Yeah, I got this. Don’t worry about me,” said Yoshi.

“All right, let me know if you need a hand,” said DK, stepping up. Yoshi sighed. He probably shouldn’t be fighting quite as aggressively as he was. But at least he hadn’t gotten hurt. He turned to his pocket and quickly grabbed a watermelon slice, before chucking it into his mouth. He noted that his skin had returned to its usual green hue. Looked like his Dash Pepper powerup had run out. He turned his focus back to the two Robot Masters.

“All right, you go for the monkey, I’ll go for the dinosaur, does that work, _your highness_?” yelled Dive Man in a frustrated rage.

“As long as you don’t screw it up!” yelled Ring Man back at him.

Yoshi grinned. The longer they kept fighting each other, the better.

“Look! They’re laughing at us! Get them!” shouted Ring Man.

Dive Man moved first, firing a barrage of rockets at Yoshi, as Ring Man moved right to contest DK. Yoshi spat a stream of juice, knocking the rockets off course as DK lunged forward to engage Ring Man in hand to hand combat. Ring Man hurled his ring boomerangs at DK, trying to slow him down. They missed, but continued to fly towards Yoshi, who to spit juice at one, successfully knocking it out of the air, while dodging the other. However, as he did, Dive Man charged towards him, thrusters on his back propelling him forward. Yoshi tried to stop him by spitting juice, but it wasn’t enough, and he took the brunt of the attack to his face.

Clambering back to his feet and shaking the ringing out of his ears, he pulled himself into an egg and rolled towards Dive Man, who had managed to stop himself.

“Egg Roll!”

Dive Man side stepped Yoshi in turn, who popped out of the egg and spat juice at him again.

“Gah! Stop doing that!” shouted Dive Man, shooting more missiles.

Yoshi began rushing at him and jumped in the air, kicking him in the face. Dive Man crashed to the ground but continued to fire rockets. Yoshi jumped to avoid the rockets, Flutter Kicking to stay in the air for a little longer and landed near Dive Man as the Robot Master also pulled himself to his feet.

Yoshi took a different stance as Dive Man raised his rocket launchers. He dashed forward and stuck his tongue out, catching Dive Man. He jerked the Robot Master towards him, throwing him off balance.

“Yoshi Combo!”

Yoshi lowered his head and landed a mighty headbutt to Dive Man’s chest as he stumbled toward him. He followed it with a powerful kick, then jumped in the air and battered Dive Man to the ground with a Flutter Kick barrage to the face. Yoshi jumped in the air again, righted himself and finished the combo with a Yoshi Bomb.

The attack struck Dive Man in the chest, causing him to explode.

Yoshi pulled himself to his feet to see DK bat aside Ring Man’s rings with a backhand, and begin swinging his arm in circles.

“Giant Punch!” shouted DK. The titanic punch slammed into Ring Man’s chassis, causing him to shatter to pieces.

DK rubbed his fist. “Ugh, punching metal objects isn’t as great as they make it out to be! It’s just like punching a palm tree only to find that there’s no coconuts on it! You put in the work, but all you’re left with are bruised knuckles and a feeling of disappointment!”

Yoshi just chuckled and shook his head. DK and his fruit metaphors.

Yoshi looked around as the others began to walk up to them, having defeated their respective Robot Masters. Yoshi looked around again. Something seemed off about the room. Suddenly, it hit him.

“Uh, guys? Where did that portal go?” he asked.

The others looked around. There was decidedly no portal in the room. Otherwise, the room looked like a dead end. The only entrance to the room was the stairway that they had descended on the way in. Mario pulled out his R-47 scanner.

“No readings. Must have been that portal.”

“So that was it? Nothing else?” asked K Rool in surprise.

Megaman’s eyes turned blue and he looked around the area. “I think this is it. I’m seeing nothing with X Ray vision. This is very strange, though. Dr. Wily never does this. His bases are always very fortified. Never thrown together like this.”

Mario nodded in agreement. “You’re right. This is strange. You sure you don’t see anything else, Megaman?”

“No, I don’t see anything. Not even anything that could be mistaken as an anomaly in the terrain.”

“Hmm……This is strange. Let’s take a quick look around, and make sure that there’s nothing about this place. Wily even took all of his computers,” said Mario.

“It’s like they made this place intentionally cheap,” said DK. “I’ve never seen such a shoddy base in my life,”

“Yeah. Even I would put more effort into a base, even if I was short on resources,” said K Rool.

Yoshi sniffed the air, but it didn’t detect anything else. DK pounded on the ground a little in search of a hollow noise that would indicate underground passage, and Megaman continued to scan the area. Sonic even ran outside and surveyed the area for anything that might resemble a hidden entrance. After some time, they returned to the middle of the room, having turned up nothing. Mario rubbed his moustache as the others waited expectantly.

“Well, this was quite unusual. If anyone thinks there’s anything else, speak now or forever hold your peace.”

After a few moments of silence, Mario said, “Well, that might just be it. I say we head back for now. There’s clearly nothing more for us here.”

The Smashers made their way back up to the surface and onto K Rool’s ship.

Yoshi sighed as he stepped back onto gangplank of K Rool’s ship. He was exhausted. He leaned on the railing, surveying the base as K Rool returned to the helm. Surely, he hadn’t missed something, right? The motors revved to life and the rotors on the mast picked up speed. 

As the ship took off, he cast one last glance at Lonely Isle as he turned to make his way to the lower decks.

“Goodbye,” he thought. “Goodbye and good riddance.” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, Act 2 comes to a close! Next time, we move on to the ever mysterious Lost Woods. Next time on Echoes of Battles Past…. Act 3: Young Link. See you all then!
> 
> Obligatory shameless plug: If you are interested in Super Smash Bros Fanfiction and Fanart, consider joining the Super Smash Prose discord server to meet like minded folks! The Discord ID is gDK48ua.


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> To Hyrule we go! So, I’m going to state a few things straight up for clarity’s sake. I’m using a hybrid of the BOTW Hyrule and TP Hyrule here that’s mostly based off of the BOTW map with some tweaks to include TP elements. The only major change that’s important right now is that I’m replacing a chunk of the south of the map (Faron Sea specifically) with Faron Woods and south of that, Lost Woods. The continuity here is a combination of several Zelda games – you’ll see a number of names referenced. 
> 
> Now one last note for the Pokemon Trainers. I wanted to mention that these are adult trainers in their mid to late 20s, not 12 year old kids. More specifically, the specific interpretation of them is from my Pokemon Special fic, Pokespe Legacy. Well sort of. I’ve decided to reboot my continuity in the future, and so there will be some tweaks to the characters from Pokespe Legacy. For everybody who has no idea what I’m talking about, just know that my Pokemon Trainers are based off of the Pokemon Special Manga and have completed their adventures years ago.

**Link of Hyrule**

Threat Level: 5

Link of Hyrule is the Champion of the Hylians. He is a jack of many trades, master of a few. Those few include swordsmanship, archery, and tactical maneuvering. Though this should not take away from Link’s other skills, which range from combative skills like spearmanship and explosives to non combative skills like cooking and wood carving. If it’s a skill that could reasonably be learned by a Hylian, Link probably has some skill in it. It should be noted that his Master Sword is also made of Haxium, and was originally wielded by the Hylian hero Groose during the Second Subspace War. Additionally, it appears that Link is in possession of a Fairy Pouch, a pouch that allows for the storage of many items. It is unknown whether this is an extradimensional dimension or not, but this pouch allows for the storage of items that are several times larger than it. While the exact mechanics are unknown, note that Link can pull out a number of items and weapons out of it in very little time, much faster then the IDD used by many other Smashers. On top of all this, Link is known for his ability to keep fighting even while injured. Link is most notably reported to have defeated Ganondorf one time with a broken leg and three broken ribs. This alone is testament to how tough of a fighter Link is, and his stamina, durability and pain tolerance is not to be underestimated. Finally, Link is equipped with the Sheikah Gauntlet, a weapon developed by the Sheikah tribe. While the technology is very unique due to its place of origin, its functional properties include some sort of stasis attack, fire, wind, ice and electric attacks, what appears to be magnetic field manipulation, a defensive dome style shield and a powerful laser beam. While this alone would make any average fighter quite dangerous, it is catastrophically lethal in the hands of Link.

To fight Link, one must be ready to deal with a powerful but versatile swordsman. His most commonly seen supplementary weapons include a bow and specialty arrows, bombs, a boomerang, a hookshot, and of course his Sheikah Glove. Link has also been observed using other weapons not listed here, so beware that he could pull out something different then what’s listed here. The best counter I’ve been able to identify is attempting to use electricity against him, as his shield and any armor he’s wearing will be made of conductive metals. Another possible tactic would be disarming him, just know that Link is the type to have a fall back plan for that. If everything else fails, a last ditch effort option may be to send several strong fighters at Link, one at a time. While his stamina borderlines on superhuman, he will tire eventually, though this method will likely result in several casualties.

**Sheik**

Threat Level: ???

Very little is known about the warrior known as Sheik. The only concrete facts that I was able to uncover about this Smasher was that he is a master of martial arts and wields a short sword. However, what limited knowledge that is available of the Sheikah may shed some light on him. The Sheikah are a group of shadowy warriors and assassins known for their stealth and efficiency in their service to the Hylian Royal Family. They are known to practice swordsmanship, martial arts and marksmanship with thrown weapons and various smoke bombs.

While it is unknown if Sheik has any special abilities, no great showings of strength have ever been shown. As such, all that can be recommended is to keep a close eye on one’s surroundings if one suspects that Sheik is known to be in the area. It is common Sheikah practice to use ambush tactics. Additionally, the Sheikah in general are not known for extremely powerful attacks, so sufficient armor may nullify enough of her attacks. Finally, it is also possible that Sheik is a high ranking Sheikah who formerly guarded one of the members of the Hyrule Royal Family. This should be noted in the event that it is necessary to target King Roham II or his sister, Princess Zelda.

I apologize that this bio is very incomplete. Most of my information comes from known facts and speculation from the Super Smash Bros fan website Smash Bros Profiles. Between the fact that Sheik is not a popular and well known hero and the general mystery surrounding him, there was precious little information. Furthermore, all other attempts to find information elsewhere proved fruitless. If any more information is discovered, please relay it to me so that I can add it to Sheik’s bio. 

I also apologize for the lack of a rating. However, it is very difficult to rate the power of a Smasher on which there is so little data.

**Link of the Forest People (aka “Young Link”)**

Threat Level: 3

Young Link is a Kokiri and the champion of the Forest People, a collection of various forest races under the leadership of the Great Fairy. Young Link is equipped with a sword and shield, and has been spotted using a bow, boomerang, bombs, a slingshot, and Deku sticks. He seems to store them in a Fairy Pouch. However, this is not what makes Young Link an imposing warrior. Young Link is dangerous as he is in the possession of several transformative masks. Upon wearing one of these masks, Young Link will transform into a different combat oriented body. This is where his combat prowess truly shines. Young Link has been spotted transforming into the following forms: Goron, Zora, Rito, and Wolf. It is unknown if Young Link possesses any other masks or where he even gets them from, though it would seem to be a safe assumption to say that he got them from the Great Fairy.

To counter Young Link, one must take into account the form that he’s currently in. If he is in his Kokiri form, remember that he is still a Kokiri and is stuck with the body of a child. The lack of physical strength and reach will be easily exploitable weaknesses for one to take advantage of. One strategy that may prove useful here is to catch Young Link while he is switching masks. Not only will he be in his Kokiri form, it opens an opportunity to destroy the masks and limit his transforming power. I’ll briefly list a summary and counters for his other forms here. The Goron form is strong, but is not particularly fast and is likely bad in an aquatic environment. The Zora form will most likely come out in an aquatic battlefield to allow for faster swimming and better aquatic maneuvering, but this form will likely be weak to electric attacks. The Rito form can fly and will grant enhanced eyesight, but damaging the wings/arms will seriously cripple him. Finally, the Wolf form can be dispatched like any other animal. It is most likely best to combat Young Link with a fighter who is flexible in combat and who can deal with a number of varied fighting methods. Fail to keep up and you’ll be bringing the wrong approach for whichever form he’s taken. 

* * *

**Act 3: Young Link**

**Chapter 1: Minuet of Forest**

Young Link looked to the sky from one of the peaks of Hyrule Castle, watching the western skies with focused vigilance. He’d been up there for nearly an hour while wearing his Rito mask, using the enhanced eyesight granted to him to watch for their incoming allies. It was noticeably colder on the highest terraces of Hyrule Castle’s towering spires, and the winds were usually stronger. A shape on the horizon caught his eye. He stood up, peering into the distance. No, it was just a bird. Another false alarm. He sat back down on the edge of the wall.

“Anything yet?”

“Nothing yet, Linkle.”

“They’re late.”

“They still have another eight minutes to get here on time.”

“Well they’d better hurry up! They’re flying and barely making it on time! Link’s getting antsy too, you know!” Linkle muttered, peering into her telescope.

Young Link sank into silence, as he continued gazing from his perch. He shouldn’t have been worried. With a calm temperance and the wisdom of the sages from all of the various peoples of Hyrule, King Roham II would surely make wise decisions should anything bad happen. From what Young Link had been told, he was just like his father, King Roham I, before the former king had been slain by Ganondorf. Then, there were the Champions, the greatest warriors of their races. Although they’d be short two champions should he and Link be absent with the Smashers, Young Link knew that they’d put up a tremendous fight to anyone who dared to challenge their might. Daruk and Urbosa in particular were known to be forces of nature when cornered, and Impa, Mipha and Revali were not to be taken lightly either. He would know, as Champion of the Kokiri. Link did too, as Champion of the Hylians. And that was to also ignore the other notable warriors of Hyrule, like Linkle, Prince Sidon, Sage Darunia, and Chief Darbus, among many others. There was nothing to worry about, right?

“Hey! You see that?” said Linkle suddenly. She pointed in a more southwesterly direction then Young Link had been watching. Young Link turned his gaze and got to his feet again. Sure enough, two winged shapes were making their way towards the castle.

“You think it’s them?” asked Young Link.

“Dunno, who else has a stupid looking Guardian arm thing that doesn’t do anything useful?” asked Linkle as she folded up her telescope carefully.

“You should be more respectful. Indigo’s Snag Machine isn’t useless.”

“Yeah, sure…..”

Young Link smirked as he stepped up onto the balcony.

“I know. Race you down!”

He jumped off the edge.

“Hey! That’s cheating!” shouted Linkle, before dashing for the stairs.

Young Link let himself freefall for a few seconds, before opening his wings, and slowing his fall as he glided downwards. He saw Linkle dash at breakneck speed past the guards towards Link, where he stood in the courtyard. He landed next to them, just as Linkle dashed up.

“Oh c’mon! Flying is cheating!”

Young Link laughed, pulling off his Rito Mask, and reverting back into Kokiri form.

“We saw them on the horizon. They’re almost here,” said Young Link. Link looked at his watch and nodded.

“Four minutes early. Not bad.”

As he said that, a rushing of wind was heard above them, and Red, Green, Blue and Indigo landed in the courtyard on the backs of two Tropius. Blue and Red clambered off the backs of one, while Indigo and Green scrambled off the back of another. Blue and Indigo each recalled their respective Tropius back into their Pokeballs.

“Hey! How’s everyone?” asked Red cheerily.

Young Link grinned. “Doing all right! We need a minute – Sheik got delayed.”

“Ok, that works,” said Red. “We don’t mind getting to stretch our legs. How much farther do we need to go to get to Lost Woods?” asked Red.

Young Link said, “It’s an hour trip to Kokiri Forest by Loftwing. We’ll have to go on foot from there. The forest is too dense to fly any farther and have a spot to land. Are you sure your flying Pokemon are ok?”

“We have more flying Pokemon with us,” said Blue. “We’ll fly with our other Flying types while our Tropius rest.”

“Yup,” said Indigo, recalling his Tropius and sending out a Skarmory. “You ready to go, Striker?”

Striker spread his wings and cawed loudly. Blue fondly patted his head. 

Young Link nodded. Blue and Indigo tended to prepare well in advance. Maybe it was because they were only married couple in which both lovebirds were Smashers? Young Link wasn’t sure if that was why they were always so prepared. Maybe it was something else? He really didn’t know. 

“Sounds like you’re prepared! We’ll leave once Sheik gets here,” he said.

“That sounds good,” said Green. He released his Charizard, before deploying a berry and handing it to the Pokemon. The Hylians watched in amusement as the fire type gobbled up the berry with delight.

Link turned to one of the guards.

“Bring out the Loftwings. We’ll take wing soon.”

“Right away, sir!” said the soldier.

Young Link smiled as Red released his Aerodactyl. The prehistoric Pokemon shuffled up to him with a cry of delight. Young Link patted him on the head. He liked to fly just as much as Young Link did. As the two most senior Smashers who could fly at high speeds while unassisted by technology, Red and Young Link were often paired together, as it was often dangerous to fly alone on missions. This had forged a fast friendship between the Kokiri and the Pokemon Trainer. Young Link chuckled as the Aerodactyl licked his face.

“Whoa now, Aero!” said Red.

Aero screeched grumpily at Red. Young Link just laughed.

“Anyway, how are you, Young Link?” said Red.

Young Link opened his mouth to answer, but a quiet voice behind him said, “He’s doing all right. How have you been Red?”

Young Link jumped and whirled around to see Sheik leaning against the wall behind him.

“Gah! Don’t do that!”

Sheik just patted him on the head as Red laughed at his expense. Young Link glared at her. Sheik just smirked. Not that Young Link could see her smirking, but the way her eyes crinkled told him that she was smirking. What could he say? He knew Sheik pretty well. Well, he knew Zelda well. Sheik was just one of her many alter egos, though it held a special place as her dedicated combat alter ego and the only publicly recognizable alter ego. It was Sheik and not Zelda who was officially part of the Smashers, though public details on Sheik were scarce, and all of the adult Smashers knew of Sheik’s true identity. The other alter egos were used for Zelda’s usual role, deep infiltration. It was a skill she’d picked up during Ganondorf’s multiple invasions of Hyrule as a means of self-preservation, now repurposed to crime fighting and assisting law enforcement agencies across the galaxy.

“Ah, I’ve been doing all right,” said Red. “Kanto’s been pretty uneventful.”

“I suppose that’s a good thing,” said Sheik.

“You bet it is!” said Red. “By the way, is there a courtyard or something I could go to? I’d kinda like to let my Pokemon warm up a little before we go.”

Sheik pointed at Young Link and said, “He can show you. I need to speak with Link.”

“Oh, convenient timing much?” said Young Link. Sheik just chuckled and walked off. Young Link shook his head. “Anyway, come with me. There’s a place that isn’t too far from here.” 

Half an hour later, the Smashers took off from Hyrule Castle. After landing in Ordon Village, and letting Link chat with the mayor, the Smashers headed in a southeasterly direction through the forest on an overgrown and poorly marked path. As they walked down the path, they passed many densely packed trees and low hanging branches. Young Link moved with a silent, grim demeanor. This was his path home. The fight had come to his own backyard, and he intended on fighting. After some time, they reached a lone bridge spanning a wide gorge. On the other side of the gorge, the trees grew even more thickly. Waiting for them on the bridge was a green haired girl who appeared to be the same age as Young Link.

“Hey Saria!”

“Hi Link. I see you’ve brought your allies. Allow me to welcome you all to the Forest Sanctuary. The Great Fairy sends her regards.”

“Thank you, Sage Saria,” said Green respectfully.

“C’mon Saria, you don’t have to that formal,” said Young Link.

“All right. Hi Link and Link. Did you not bring Link with you?” she said facing Young Link and Link.

Red burst out laughing. Green and Indigo cracked a smile and Sheik and Blue chuckled under their breath. Young Link only rolled his eyes. This was typical Saria.

“Toonie’s far enough away that we had Rosalina pick him up and take him to the mansion,” said Young Link. “It would have taken him nearly a week to sail here with Tetra.”

“Well, let’s be on our way. The Great Fairy was most anxious that this be dealt with,” said Saria.

“You’re such a demanding boss,” joked Young Link as they began to make their way through Kokiri Forest. “Where is the Great Fairy by the way? Still at the Great Fairy Fountain?”

“She had left to plant another Great Deku Tree. You know that spot near the waterfall east of Hyrule Field?”

“Yeah. I remember. I scouted out that place.” Young Link remembered the place well. The forest in the area had been heavily cut down for logs during the war but had been left behind when Castle Town had been relocated northward.

“When the news arrived, we had just left. She gave me instructions to take charge while she was gone and to evacuate the forest in case of an emergency.”

“It sounds like planting a new Great Deku Tree is a big deal,” said Red.

“It is. The Great Deku Trees serve many purposes. They act as leaders away from the Great Fairy Fountain, and they are places of refuge during crisis. They also help the forest expand.”

“It’s really an interesting place!” said Blue, looking around. “I don’t think I’ve ever seen such an interesting mixture of people living together.”

“Yes. The Great Fairy has worked very hard to make sure all are included. We Kokiri live in harmony alongside the Faries, Deku Scrubs, and Koroks,” said Saria. “This settlement is the main place where Kokiri live due to our……unusual circumstances. Though most Kokiri live with a fairy.”

She turned to stare emphatically at Young Link.

“Hey! Navi left of her own accord after Ganondorf’s invasion! The others that were taken in needed Fairies, and I didn’t need to have one!” It was true. Many of the existing Kokiri and their guardian fairies had agreed to let the newcomers have guardian fairies during Ganondorf’s invasion. Young Link and Navi had been one such duo who had made that decision. Navi came to visit rather frequently, so it wasn’t that big of a deal for Young Link though.

“I know, I just love busting your chops.”

“You’re centuries old, and you still act like a little kid,” grumbled Young Link good naturedly.

“Hey now, I’m just under one and a half centuries old, thank you very much! You should respect your elders more, Mr. Quarter Century!”

“That’s right, little brother, respect your elders!” said Link jokingly.

“How many times do I need to remind you that you’re only a few minutes older than me?” asked Young Link. “You’re my twin brother!”

“An infinite amount of times, _little brother._ ”

“Wait…..you’re twins?” asked Red, confused. “I thought you were older and younger brothers.”

“Yeah. Wait……what does the word Kokiri mean to you?” asked Young Link.

“Uh……A Hylian word for child?” asked Red. “I assume that’s not correct?”

“No…..A Kokiri is……well was a Hylian child who was taken in by the Great Fairy, and transformed into a eternal child. To protect the Kokiri, the Great Fairy has prevented us from aging,” said Young Link.

“So that’s how you’re 25 years old and also…..uh….” said Blue.

“Physically 10 years old? Yeah. I get that reaction a lot,” said Young Link.

“Wait…..so you never get old?” asked Indigo.

“And never get sick! It’s great!” said Saria.

“So……you basically can’t die?” asked Green.

“Not by natural causes. You could kill a Kokiri in any normal way, just not with sickness or old age, basically,” said Young Link matter of factly.

“So, you’re older than gramps,” said Green.

“If he’s under 147 years old, then yeah!” said Saria.

“He’s 74.”

“Wow! He’s pretty young to be a grandpa! I’m not even a mom yet! I’m only just a sage!” said Saria.

Young Link rolled his eyes, as the others tried to laugh politely. “She uses that one on everybody, don’t feel bad.” Saria tried. She really did. But she did need better material.

“Although, it gets really annoying when everybody thinks I’m just a child! I’m older than all of these ‘adults’, you know!” grumbled Saria. “The sage life isn’t as great as everybody says it is!”

“Here she goes again,” mumbled Young Link.

“Sure, being an advisor to the King and all is great, but literally nobody respects you because you’re short and look like a kid! Oh well, at least I don’t have to run for reelection like Raaru and Nabooru do. I’m just appointed by the Great Fairy!”

“Sages are just advisors to the king? I thought they were supposed to have some sort of powers?” asked Blue.

“The sages of old did. Nowadays we’re basically advisors appointed by our people to advise the king. Each group or tribe gets one representative to help the King make better decisions, especially with regards to their people. Although Fado and I tag team the sage position for the Forest People. We alternate with each other every year. It’s…..not good for a Kokiri to be away from the forest for too long.”

Blue nodded her head and said, “That makes sense.”

“So, Link wasn’t taken in by the Great Fairy then?” asked Red.

“Our parents were both slain during the Hyrulean Civil War, and my brother and I were separated in the chaos,” said Young Link. “We were toddlers at the time. Link was eventually found by our uncle. I was eventually found by Fado and ended up here.”

Link nodded in agreement.

Young Link narrowed his eyes. “You know, you and Sheik need to talk more!”

Link only raised an eyebrow at him.

“Yes, I know I do a better job than you, but I’m tired of doing all the talking! Nobody respects the short guy! You need to talk more! And that goes for you too, Sheik!”

“I don’t talk much for a reason,” said Sheik quietly.

“Yeah, I know, but it’s like working with moving statues with you two! Say something every once in a while!”

“Something every once in a while,” said Link.

Everybody laughed at that.

Link chuckled, “You know, you and Saria are awful comfortable with each other. I didn’t know you were into older women, little bro!”

Young Link rolled his eyes, and Saria only giggled.

“Oh, and now you decide to talk. Oh, and uh, Malon? You know, _my_ girlfriend, mister no girlfriend?”

Link gave him a funny look. Suddenly, a realization came to Young Link. “Wait a second…….you’re not……”

Link just grinned.

Young Link gasped. “You’ve finally moved up in the world! My brother is finally not a failure with women! I thought I’d never see the day! Who’s the lucky lady?”

“That’s for me to know and you to find out,” said Link.

“Yup, that’s my brother right there, people!”

Everybody just laughed. They continued chatting, making their way through the winding paths of Kokiri Forest. The place had been greatly expanded since Ganondorf’s invasion due to an influx of dozens of new Kokiri. The various residents of the village looked up from their tasks and stopped their play to stare at the visitors. Young Link waved to some of his friends as he passed through. They waved back, smiles on their faces. Young Link forced a smile back. He hoped that they’d still be smiling once the mission was done and they returned.

After some time, they reached the other side. Saria stopped.

“Anyway, we’re here. Across this bridge is Lost Woods. Good luck out there, Smashers.”

“You know, I know they way through my own home town. You didn’t have to take us,” said Young Link.

“I know. It was just a good opportunity to see you, since I’ve been in Castle Town for the last several months.”

“Yeah. It was good to see you, Saria.”

“You too. And Link? Stop worrying. It’ll get you killed out there,” said Saria.

Young Link just coughed awkwardly. Link grinned and patted his head.

“I’m not that worried! Not any more than you are, Saria! Gah, stop patronizing me!”

“You’re talking more than your usual talkative self. You’re nervous. Don’t be. You’re the Kokiri Champion! You’ve faced bigger things before.”

“All right. I’ll stop worrying. See you later, Saria.”

“See you later, Link. Good luck out there.”

After some time walking through the forest, following Indigo and his R-47 sensor, Young Link was starting to wonder if something was wrong at all. There was nothing different about the greenish haze that blanketed the forest itself year-round, and the place overall had always had a bit of an eerie feel to it. It had become quite the comfort to Young Link over the years. It had a strange peacefulness and yet an unsettling feel as well. Lost Woods was always a place of contradictions, and it was a place that Young Link never found old. The forest itself stretched for miles and miles of uncharted wilderness, and many a reckless adventurer who had gone missing had never been found, even by the best Kokiri trackers. It was dangerous, even for the enhanced senses of a Kokiri or Hylian. But Young Link knew this neck of the woods quite well, which was why he was there.

Next to him, Indigo nearly tripped over a fallen tree branch as he intently stared at the R-47 scanner in his hands. Blue managed to catch him.

“Watch your step, eh?”

“Thanks.”

“What does the scanner say?” asked Sheik.

“It’s over 9000!” chuckled Indigo.

There was an awkward silence.

“Sorry hun, you need to stop using those obscure refrences,” sighed Blue.

Indigo sighed. “Oh well. Signal’s still strong from the west. Looks like we’re within half a kilometer.”

The other Pokemon trainers grabbed their Pokeballs quickly.

“You could have said something earlier!” said Red.

“Well the signal is kinda spotty!” groused Indigo. “These woods are weird man! I can’t get a signal out here, my Shadow Scanner keeps showing weird error messages for stuff that I know isn’t broken because I checked it before we left, and the compass on the scanner is literally spinning in circles! No wonder they call this place Lost Woods! This is exactly the kind of place you don’t want to be out in after dark!”

“Says the guy who goes into the worst parts of town in the middle of the night with no fear……” mumbled Red.

“Hey, I’d rather risk the gangs at the black market! You can at least predict what they’re going to do!”

“Yeah right……” muttered Green. “And anyway, what if we were to get ambushed?”

“Sheik’s a ninja, Link’s half ninja, Young Link’s probably got a ninja mask, and you know what Blue and I usually do. We’ll be fine!” said Indigo.

Link and Sheik chuckled quietly.

“Hey! My Sheikah Mask counts!” said Young Link.

“Suuuuure…….” snickered Link.

Sheik rolled her eyes. “I’ve heard cattle stampedes quieter than you.”

“No, that’s Toon Link and Tetra. You know, with the Bombchu Battalion strategy?” said Young Link.

“Hmm…..I won’t argue with you on that one. Those two _are_ the definition of loud and proud,” conceded Sheik. “But they can be sneaky when they want to. You always sound like an overweight Goron walking through a pile of dry brush.”

“Uh, Goron Mask, hello?”

Sheik shrugged. “Fair enough.”

Indigo suddenly stopped. “Ok, we’re within a quarter kilometer due west.”

Young Link paused for a moment. “I think I know where it is. You can put away the scanner for the moment. Follow me.”

Young Link led them in a westerly direction over an increasingly steep incline. After several minutes of hard climbing, they reached the top of the hill. Just in front of them looked to be a steep valley in the middle of the plateau that they had just climbed.

“Meteor Valley. The plateau here was hit by a meteor a long time ago, creating a giant valley in the middle of this plateau. It would be a great place to hide away. Even us Kokiri don’t come here often,” said Young Link as they walked up to the edge of the valley.

His breath hitched as they came to the edge. The forest had been absolutely destroyed within the valley. The ground itself had been turned into a disgusting mess of what looked like sludge from the top of the ridgeline. There were circles of massive, cracked open eggs situated in clusters around in the sludge. In the side of the valley was a large metal wall with a large observation window, and next to it, a small metal door.

Indigo pulled out his R-47 scanner.

“Yeah, this is it. Readings are spiking. Good call, Young Link.”


	8. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Act 3 Young Link continues as the Smashers investigate the lab!  
> Thank you to everybody who read and reviewed last time! With no further ado, let’s get started!

**Pokemon Trainer General Info:**

The four Pokedex Holders that are part of the Super Smash Bros are quite the formidable group, either together or by themselves. Hailing from the planet of Pokeana, these trainers include Red, Green, Blue, and Indigo. Their coordination, tactics, and versatility with their Pokémon is astounding, making them very powerful threats in battle. I will include general counters as well as specific counters for each member of this group.

Generally, for Pokémon Trainers, the most important thing for one to know is to have basic knowledge of a pokemon’s type strengths and weaknesses. This is extremely important for taking out a pokemon quickly. Using a fire based attack on a water type will be futile, but using a fire based attack on a grass type will be very useful. If you have any questions, please see the type matchup chart in the back of the manual for more information.

As for other tactics, it is advisable to attack the Trainer whenever possible. While their Pokémon are the ones about to obliterate you, all of their coordination and planning comes from the trainer. As such, taking out the trainer is the best option if possible. It should be noted that every single one of the Pokedex holders does have at least Pokémon capable of flight, and they are known to try and escape if need be. Additionally, all of them appear to be proficient hand to hand combatants to varying degrees. It should also be noted that it is common practice among Pokémon Trainers bring medical supplies for their Pokémon. While not meant for use on other beings, they can be used to good effect on subjects that are not Pokemon in a pinch. Furthermore, it is worth breaking or damaging the activation switches of a Pokémon Trainer’s pokeballs if possible. While this won’t harm either the Trainer or their Pokémon, it does trap a Pokémon in its ball, and prevents the Pokemon from being called out into battle.

Finally, it is customary for Pokemon Trainers to carry a maximum of 6 Pokemon with them. This is the number of Pokemon that’s widely considered to be the maximum one trainer can care for in the field and this number has become the standard of every Pokemon Leauge. While it is known that each Smasher Pokemon Trainer has been spotted commanding more than 6 Pokemon in battle and they have each brought 7 or more Pokemon to major battles in the past, it is likely that most of the time, they carry the standard amount of Pokemon. As such, it may be useful to know how many Pokemon they have on them, should you be able to knock some of them out.

Should we ever invade Pokeana, please consult the Champions, Elite Four, Gym Leaders, Dexholders, and Other notable trainers section in the back of the manual. Pokeana is filled with strong trainers who are supported by a modern supply chain and have modern means of communication widely available. Should an invasion ever occur, they will certainly rally and pose a very serious threat to any operations on the planet, even without the 4 Smasher Dexholders.

**Red of Pallet Town:**

Threat Level: 4.5

Red is the leader of the Pokemon trainers and is the strongest one of them all, with strength just shy of the highest echelon of powerful smashers. He formerly served as Champion of the Kanto-Johto Pokemon League and has an impressive track record of title defenses against a number of varied of opponents. His administration was remarkably centrist and several surprisingly balanced bills were passed regarding controversial topics in the region. Notably, Red was never defeated, rather, he stepped down from his position to join the Dexholder Initiative, an international peacekeeping unit containing some of the strongest trainers Pokeana has ever produced. The unit was named this way as an overwhelming majority of its members were recruited from Professor Oak’s Pokedex Research Project, and were owners of the original lines of Pokedexes. Red currently serves as one of the field commanders of this unit as well as a Smasher. While Red is a prolific battler, he is no slouch should he be targeted in battle. Red has been spotted using martial arts, nunchucks and ninja weapons, most likely taught to him by Kanto-Johto Elite Four members Koga and Bruno. As a last note, Red’s tactical and charismatic power should not be underestimated. He operated as the Smasher’s lead tactician after Roy was incapacitated during the Subspace Incident of a few years ago and his overall popularity as a Smasher is no accident either. Should the opportunity arise to eliminate Red, it should be taken.

While Red is rightfully considered to be the most dangerous of all the trainers due to his battling prowess, he is not without weaknesses. Red is known to let his guard down outside of battle (see my reports on the Team Rocket Silph Co HQ incident, the Kanto-Johto Elite Four rebellion and the Masked Man and Cipher Incident in the Sevvi Islands) and walking him into a trap is most likely the best way to beat him. Attempting to battle Red in a head on fight is less advisable, as he is known to be a very reactive fighter and will tailor his approach to defeat you specifically. It is also unwise to attempt to use an environmental advantage against him, as he’s been frequently recorded turning such advantages on his enemies. Finally, it may be advisable to attempt to overwhelm him with numbers. While he could send out his entire team, Pokemon trainers usually do not fight with their entire team on the field, and the distraction of trying to coordinate so many Pokemon will most likely cause him to not watch his back. Watch out for his Poliwrath, Venusaur and Pikachu, they are Red’s strongest Pokemon.

Red’s observed Pokemon include Poliwrath (Water/Fighting), Venusaur (Grass/Poison), Pikachu (Electric), Snorlax (Normal), Eevee* (Normal), Aerodactyl (Rock/Flying), and Dugtrio (Ground)

* Red’s Eevee has the unusual ability to be able to evolve to and from its evolutions Flareon, Vaporeon and Leafeon.

**Green Oak of Pallet Town**

Threat Level: 4

Green is the second strongest trainer of all of the Pokémon trainers, and is the grandson of renowned Pokémon researcher Professor Samuel Oak. He is known for his calm and focused approach to combat, and for training rigorously to improve one’s individual power. He is also known for having trained his Pokemon to be able to fight without him giving commands. This makes Green a formidable foe, especially in single combat and he is a very close second to Red in terms of power. However, it should be noted that Green is much more cautious and calculated when compared to Red. He formerly served as the Gym Leader of Viridian City during which time, he gave away a record low of 87 gym badges over the course of 7 years. As his gym team was significantly weaker than his combat team, this speaks very well to his skill as a trainer. Green is also well versed in martial arts and also in staff combat due to his apprenticeship to the Gym Leader Chuck as a child. I estimate that he is the most proficient of all of the Pokemon Trainers in traditional hand to hand and weapons combat.

Green is not invulnerable by any stretch of the imagination, though, and like all Smashers, he has weaknesses. Green is a person who is very assured in his own strength. While he has this confidence for a reason, his pride and overconfidence has been his downfall in the past (see my 128th Kanto -Johto League Grand Tourney Final Four analysis). Furthermore, Green is best in single combat, and while he can battle proficiently with two Pokemon on the field, he has never been seen with more than two Pokemon on the field, even when greatly outnumbered. As such, I can recommend trying to overwhelm Green with numbers. While he will likely fight alongside his Pokemon, he will never have more than two Pokemon out, and it will be easier to outnumber and overwhelm 3 opponents then the other trainers, who are more likely to just send out their entire team. Another tactic I can offer is to try and make him think that he’s stronger than you and then take advantage of the openings he provides. Just do not expect him to be sloppy in any aspect of his fighting technique. You will need to find flaws with the moves themselves, not in his execution of said moves. Be careful of his Charizard and Scizor, as they are his most powerful Pokémon.

Green’s observed Pokemon include Scizor (Bug/Steel), Charizard (Fire/Flying), Rhyperior (Rock/Ground), Pidgeot (Normal/Flying), Machamp (Fighting), Kabutops (Rock/Water), and Persian (Normal)

* * *

**Act 3: Young Link**

**Chapter 2: Nocturne of Shadow**

“All right, what are we up against?” asked Red.

Indigo activated his Shadow Scanner and surveyed the area.

“Not much other than those eggs. I assume they don’t belong to local creatures?” asked Indigo.

“Absolutely not,” said Young Link. “Never seen anything like this before.”

“Does anybody recognize what they are?” asked Green.

“Dunno, but let’s leave them alone for the moment, we can deal with them later. We should get in the facility and see what’s in there,” said Red.

“All right. How do you propose we get in there? Can your Pokemon fly us down there? The walls are pretty steep for Sheik and Link,” said Young Link, putting on his Rito Mask.

“Yeah, we can give you guys a lift,” said Red, releasing his Aerodactyl. “Aero! Time to fly!”

“Charizard!” shouted Green, releasing his Pokemon.

“Striker!” shouted Indigo, releasing his Skarmory.

“Jiggly!” said Blue, releasing her Jigglypuff.

Charizard picked up Link, and Aero picked up Sheik, while Blue and Indigo clambered on top of their respective Pokemon. It was only a short glide down to the floor of the valley near where the door was situated, but the difference of environment was immediately noticeable at the bottom of the valley.

“What is this? It looks like rotting meat……..”said Green, poking at the ground.

“It stinks horribly too……” said Young Link.

“I never knew so many flies existed!” exclaimed Red, swatting at the cloud of insects that swarmed over his head.

“Let’s just get ourselves inside,” said Indigo, holding his nose. He went up to the door and found an outlet in the control panel.

“Dux! You’re up!” he said.

A Porygon Z leapt out of the emitter of his Snag Machine. It turned around, let out a cry, and entered the outlet. A few moments later, the door opened.

“Boom! Universal Key!” said Indigo with a grin. “Good work Dux!”

“Only for virtual locks…..I wanna see that thing pick a real lock,” joked Young Link.

“Hey, that’s what I’m for!” grinned Indigo back at him.

The Pokémon trainers recalled their flying Pokémon and released different members of their team.

“Saur! Let’s go!” said Red, releasing his Venusar.

Green pulled out a pokeball. “Scizor!”

Blue pulled out another pokeball and sent out her Blastoise. “Blasty! Get ready!”

“Jaws! Let’s get them!” said Indigo. An Arcanine landed in front of him.

Link and Sheik drew their swords in readiness. Young Link equipped his Goron Mask and transformed. He clenched his fists, ready for battle.

The door slid shut behind them, cutting off the stench of the outdoors. They gazed down the long hallway. It was time to move.

“Whew…..that’s much better……” said Blue as they began moving down the hallway. The hallway led down to a pair of locked double doors with a keycard input. A few seconds after they walked up, the door unlocked on its own, courtesy of Dux. They quickly moved into the next room. It was a well kept laboratory, complete with white halls and harsh overhead lights. Several desks around the area had computers, as well as a variety of chemicals and vials. There were also a number of empty stasis tubes that lined the walls. The smashers quickly moved around the room, inspecting the area.

“Any of this look familiar to anyone?” asked Red.

“Kinda reminds me of Ein’s lab,” said Indigo. “If I were a betting man, I’d say this lab was working with biological samples.”

“This over here,” said Green, walking up to a piece of equipment. “This machine allows for DNA splicing. I’ve seen one before. They’re making genetic monsters.”

There was a moment of silence.

“That’s bad, isn’t it?” said Young Link.

“Yeah. Hopefully, they weren’t able to make too many of them,” said Green.

Suddenly, Indigo’s Pokedex gave off a few beeps. He pulled out the device and looked at it.

“Ok, Dux is in the control room now. He’ll tell us who is here and where to go. Let’s stay put for the moment.”

After a brief pause, Indigo said, “Dux will need a minute. Hang tight.”

Young Link sat down behind one of the desks and the others took cover as best they could and tried not to stand out too much in the lab.

He looked around in shock. He had no idea that this was here. Nobody did. Not Saria, not Link, not even the Great Fairy. Dozens of questions flashed through his mind. How long had it been there? What was being done here? What was its purpose?

How? How on earth had a place this massive escaped his notice? He patrolled the area on a semi regular basis, while looking for the odd Wolfos or Stalfos after a sighting in Lost Woods. But he’d never seen this. The Great Fairy had been focusing on the expansion of the forest recently, and she’d had him scouting fairly intensively for new locations to plant Great Deku Trees, build villages and expand the forest at large. And when he wasn’t doing that, he was usually in Hyrule on Champion business or on business with the Smashers. He was a busy Kokiri. He couldn’t be blamed for missing this, could he?

Young Link’s thoughts were broken when Indigo said, “Ok, Dux sees only five people, and a few giant monsters in giant stasis tubes all in one room.”

“Do they see us?” asked Young Link.

“Nobody’s in the control room right now, so I don’t think so?” said Indigo.

“Where are they?” asked Green.

“In the room with the giant test tubes. It’s a massive room so we’ll know when we get there,” Indigo paused for a second as his Pokedex screen lit up again.

“Are they about to release the monsters?” asked Red.

Indigo typed the question into his Pokedex. After a moment, he said, “Dux doesn’t know. We’d probably better hurry though.”

“Where is this room in relation to us?” asked Young Link.

“Uh……hold on a sec, Dux is uploading a map of this place……..Oh, it’s just down the hall! We can cut them off before they do anything! C’mon, let’s move!”

The party swiftly moved down the corridor, eventually reaching a large double door. It slid open before them to reveal a large room with the test tubes. It was a massive, cavernous room that must have been at least two or three stories tall. Giant stasis tubes, glowing with a green light coming somewhere from the base, were spread out throughout the massive room in a grid like pattern. Young Link took a wary glance at the giant tubes next to them. Most were empty, but three of them still appeared to have giant, vicious looking monsters inside of them. There were also several stasis tubes that were much bigger than the other ones, but all of them were vacant. Young Link wasn’t sure if that was a good thing or a bad thing.

As they walked down the main walkway down the center of the room, they saw five figures in front of them, illuminated from the front by the lights in the test tubes, casting long shadows behind them.

Indigo motioned for his allies to take a stealthy stance. Young Link quickly took the opportunity to swap his mask and transform into a wolf. Hopefully the smaller profile would help him against enemies a potentially cluttered scientific lab battlefield. Down on four legs, he took a sniff of the air. That was strange…..some of the scents seemed familiar, beyond the scents of his fellow Smashers. Who did those scent remind him of? Was it the smell of chemicals? No, that wasn’t exclusive to Skylark……

The figure in the center turned.

“Ah, so the Smashers have finally joined us. Welcome, Smashers, to my laboratory.”

“Show yourself!” shouted Red. “Saur! Get ready!”

“Of course!” The figure snapped his fingers, and dozens of lights on the ceiling turned on, illuminating the room. Blue gasped.

“You…..you look just like….”

“That inferior joke of a _hero_ that refers to itself as Mario? Yes. I am a clone of that _thing_. But, know that I have attained superiority in every conceivable area. I make that fool look barely sentient. You may refer to me as Dr. Mario.”

The doctor stood tall in a white lab coat. He looked to be a near identical clone of Mario, even styling his hair and moustache in the same fashion, though his neatly pressed dress shirt, tie and dress pants gave him a more professional look. Next to him, Young Link recognized Blood Falcon and Dark Link from the pictures taken by ROB. They stood alongside two other people. One looked like a bandit version of Luigi and the other looked like Princess Peach in a nurse outfit. Dark Link drew his sword. Matched with Blood Falcon’s menacing grin, Young Link was sure that they would put up quite the vicious fight. The other two took fighting stances. Were they clones too? Young Link sniffed the air with his enhanced wolf senses. All of them smelled distinctly of metal and artificial chemicals.

“Allow me to introduce my colleagues. You Smashers have encountered Dark Link and Blood Falcon before, but I believe that you have yet to meet my personal assistants, Mr. L and Nurse Peach.”

“You’re a doctor? You’re in charge of this facility?” asked Red.

“Indeed. And this is my laboratory. Where cutting edge research and development in biological sciences takes place. And would have continued to take place, had the Leader not chosen to move my lab elsewhere. Alas, it is a casualty to the greater plan at large. It’s a shame.”

“Oh? Greater plan? I don’t think many plans would involve abandoning a laboratory of this……scale,” said Blue.

“Hmph. Like I said, it’s a necessary sacrifice. A pity too. I was getting attached to this place.”

“And all of the flies outside?” asked Blue cheerily.

“They can stay in this infernal humidity. It’s absolutely intolerable. And of course those flies are attracted to the feeding pit. If only the world could be terraformed to stay at a consistent scientific room temperature……but I digress, such projects must wait.”

“Sounds like it must be a pretty grand plan if the end result is terraforming an entire world on that scale,” said Blue. Young Link relaxed his stance slightly. The more information Blue could get, the better. And the more talking that occurred, the less fighting. Hopefully.

Dr. Mario only smiled cruelly. “You’re right about that. It is quite grand, if I do say so myself. But, I won’t spoil it for you. It would only ruin the surprise. Who would I be to ruin the surprise for a young lady like yourself?”

“Oh! I do love surprises!” said Blue, playing along. “But couldn’t you give us just a tiny little hint?”

Dr. Mario chuckled, rubbing his moustache, contemplating for a minute.

“Hmm……let me think.”

The two warriors at his side looked at him, surprised.

“You’re actually going to do that, sir?” asked Mr. L.

“Of course. I would be remiss to treat a lady in such an uncouth fashion as to not grant such a small request.”

Dr. Mario deliberated for a moment.

“Ah, yes. Your hint is ‘Antlion’. Yes, ‘Antlion’. Now, are you all ready to die?”

“Die?” gasped Blue dramatically. “I’m too beautiful to die!”

Young Link took a fighting stance and waited.

“Yes. I’m afraid I can’t let you live, little lady. Farewell.” Dr Mario pulled a PDA out of his pocket and pressed a button. Nothing happened. He pressed the button a few more times. Still nothing. Blood Falcon’s hands flared with Falcon energy and Dark Link. Mr. L and Nurse Peach tensed, ready to fight at a moment’s notice. 

Indigo chuckled. “What? You didn’t think that I wouldn’t figure out that you had this whole thing rigged up to a remote control system?!”

Dr. Mario paled, and took a fighting stance.

“Of course _you_ had to show up! Use the manual release! GO!” he shouted.

The five leapt out towards the devices. The Smashers lunged after them.

“Dux! Jam the manual release if you can!” shouted Indigo. “Jaws! With me!”

Young Link rushed after the doctor himself, but was too late, the doctor had made it to the side of one of the occupied test tubes, and pulled a lever. The water inside the tank began to spill out, and the monster raised its head. It was a massive, rotund beast that quickly smashed through the glass with a mighty roar. It resembled a mixture between a blimp and a pig with a large nozzle for the nose. It began to stomp towards him. It was an absolutely massive in size, nearly as tall as a one story house.

“Saur! Tie him up with Vine Whip!” shouted Red suddenly from behind Young Link. “Get the doc! I’ll take on this monster!”

Young Link nodded and turned to pursue the fleeing doctor.

Link and Sheik rushed down after Dark Link. He dashed by one of the occupied test tubes, slashing it with his sword as he went by. The monster opened its eyes and burst through the tube as it awoke. It was another massive creature that could be better compared in height to a ranch style house then a person. It had four legs and a large bulbous body. Its eyes peered down at them, observing as Sheik and Link as they dropped into fighting stances, brandishing a Sheikah short sword and the Master Sword respectively. It roared loudly at the two of them.

Link grit his teeth, and nodded at Sheik, nodded back at him. They would take this monster on together. It was time to see how tough this monster was.

Green, flanked by Blue chased down Blood Falcon. He jumped for one manual release lever and managed to get it down. The sides slid down as the fluid inside drained. Another balloon – pig monster righted itself and stomped out.

“Blasty! Use Surf!” shouted Blue next to him. A massive wave of water crashed into the monster. The monster took the hit and didn’t look to be too badly hurt. It roared again and stomped towards Blasty.

“Blasty! Use Mega Punch!” shouted Blue.

Green narrowed his eyes as Blasty landed a punch to the monsters face before grappling with it. The monster aimed its snout at Blasty and unleashed a torrent of fire. The fire hardly affected Blasty, who responded with a retaliatory jet of water.

Green glanced at Scizor. Sure, he was at a disadvantage, but it wasn’t an unwinnable one.

“Scizor! Use Swords Dance!” he said. This monster looked tough. It would be quite the opponent.

Young Link rushed through the stasis tubes in hot pursuit of Dr. Mario, who was fleeing towards the far end of the room. He saw Dark Link and Blood Falcon approaching the door as well. On the other side, Mr. L and Nurse Peach stood at a control panel, waiting for them to make it through the door. This had better not be a 5v1 fight. Young Link was a strong fighter to be sure, but a fight that lopsided would be very hard to win. Suddenly, the doors slammed shut in front of Dr. Mario’s nose as he tried to exit the room, cutting him off from his escape route. It was a very thick, sturdy looking door, probably meant to contain the monsters should they break out. Dr. Mario and his underlings swiveled on their heels, ready to fight.

“Leaving so soon?” asked Indigo as he sauntered out from behind another stasis tube. His Arcanine growled and took a lower stance, ready to pounce at a moment’s notice.

Young Link quickly changed his mask and stomped forward as a Goron, cracking his knuckles and ready to fight.

“Glad to see you, Young Link!” he said. “I thought I was going to have to fight them all by myself!”

Young Link grinned menacingly. “Yeah! Let’s get them!”

Indigo grinned as he approached Dr. Mario and his minions.

Dr. Mario hissed. “You……..I’ve been told about you and that hacking Pokémon of yours, _Pokémon Trainer_ ……..”

Blood Falcon stepped forward, aggressively. “You think you can beat me?” he scoffed.

“I don’t know. Can I?” asked Indigo, still smirking.

“Stuff your dad jokes! You even know who you’re talking to?”

“Someone I can’t fight,” said Indigo.

“Why? Too scared?” asked the young man arrogantly.

“Your ego is suffocating. I think I need to step away and catch a breath of fresh air,” said Indigo flatly. “Young Link, you want to come with me?”

“Actually, just pass me a pin. Somebody’s gotta pop that ego. Might as well be me,” said Young Link, right on beat. Indigo was too good at being a smart aleck to pass this up.

“I’m Blood Falcon! I never lose! My confidence is justified!” shouted the young man.

“All right then, Blood Falcon. You really think you can beat us?” asked Indigo.

“Of course! Mother taught me how to fight! There’s no way I can lose!”

“Uh huh,” said Young Link in a less then convinced manner. This guy was a joke. Well, mentality wise. According to Roy, he’d put up enough of a fight against Pac Man to not be quickly beaten. So maybe he was at least competent in a fight? Though if he was just playing stupid, this Blood Falcon was a darn good actor.

“Mother is really powerful! You should respect her! She is the wisest and most powerful member of our group! Other than the Leader! But she’s second most powerful! She’s so powerful, she can even beat me!”

“Ok then,” said Indigo, sounding thoroughly unconvinced.

Dark Link glared at them wordlessly. Blood Falcon sneered “That’s really stupid to doubt Mother’s abilities! You Smashers are really as dumb as Mother said you were!”

“I’m sure we are,” said Young Link sarcastically.

“Hey! Take me seriously! Or you’re going to regret it!” yelled Blood Falcon. “I’m powerful, you know!”

Young Link locked eyes with Dark Link. “You don’t seem to talk much. What’s your name?” asked Young Link.

“My name is Dark Link,” said the clone, his voice raspy from lack of use. “You will not defeat us.” 

“You heard him! You can’t win!” boomed Blood Falcon. “And we can’t lose! We win no matter what!”

Young Link resisted the urge to roll his eyes. “Roy mentioned that the clones and that girl he fought the other day had someone they called ‘Mother’. I assume she’s the same person?”

“Of course! That’s mother! And that girl the red dude fought is my sister! You’d better not be picking on her, or I’m really going to have to beat you! And don’t call her just some ‘girl’! Lucina is the best of us! She can even beat me!” shouted Blood Falcon.

“And she couldn’t beat Roy in a fight? His best skill is hitting on chicks,” piped up Indigo.

Blood Falcon scoffed contemptuously. “Yeah, keep telling yourself that! Lucina destroyed that red head dude and would have got him too if it weren’t for the flat dude and his cheap octopus thing!

Indigo just sighed. “Listen, I’ve gotta take you and your buddy and your boss in. Nothing personal or anything. Can I get you to surrender quietly?”

“What part of ‘Blood Falcon never loses’ did you not get? I’m Blood Falcon! I never lose, dude!”

“Truly, what profound reasoning,” said Young Link sarcastically.

“But you said that your sister and your mother have beaten you before. So, you don’t have an undefeated record, which means that you do lose sometimes. Which one is it?” asked Indigo.

Young Link grinned. “Yeah! That doesn’t add up!”

“I….HEY! Not cool! You’re getting it now!” Blood Falcon took a fighting stance. Dark Link took a fighting stance as well. He glared at the two smashers. Young Link glared straight back at him and cracked his knuckles.

“And you, Doc?” said Indigo. “You know, Dux has that door shut tight. You’re gonna have a real hard time getting the manual override to work on this one. You might as well just surrender.”

Dr. Mario looked up from the door panel that he was frantically fiddling with. He stood up, straightened his lab coat, and clenched his fists.

“Destroy them!” he hissed.

Indigo shook his head. “I thought so. Young Link? You ready to go?”

“You bet I’m ready!"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ah, Doctor Mario…..nobody remembers this guy unless somebody gets hurt. Which is why I decided to give him a larger role in the story then Mario’s doctor friend/cousin/clone who just is kinda there. I have plans for this guy, so expect to see more of him in the future!  
> As a side point, this was the reason I included Skylark in this fic. Originally, I had just Packrat, Cordelia and Scrapper as my 3 OCs and a half baked idea for a fourth character who was going to act as a second medic that I originally decided to drop. However, when I moved Doc over to the villains side, I realized that an organization of 70+ fighters probably needed at least one dedicated medical specialist. This was when I realized that my best bet for a new doctor character was my half baked second medic. This character was fleshed out and eventually turned into the Skylark we’ll see in future chapters.  
> Last thing – I realized that I had Indigo doing stuff this chapter, but I haven’t shown his profile yet. I was hoping to not have to have a character take too much spotlight without having first shown their profile, however it seemed more fitting that I get to Red and Green’s profiles first as the equivalents to the OG Pokemon protagonist and rival. Rest assured that Indigo as well as Blue will get their proper profile entries next time before the battles start.


	9. Chapter 9

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Real quick before we start, I just wanted to give a heads up that my OC's bios will be a bit longer in length the the other Smasher's bios as I'm trying to give a little bit more information about them. With that out of the way, let's get started!

**Blue**

Threat Level: 4

Blue is a different kind of trainer when compared to Red and Green. While she boasts a compliment of powerful Pokemon on her team, her strength does not lie in her power, but rather, her strategy and unusual tactics. Blue's style of battle in high profile battles is defined by her ability to do the unexpected and apply a number of tricky and unconventional tactics in battle (see my Sevvi Islands Masked Man and Cipher Incident analysis). While unfortunately her background is largely shrouded in mystery, a few things are known. She formerly had a connection to the Mask of Ice, but the only information available is that their relationship was antagonistic. It appears that she spent most of her young life on the run and supported herself through thievery and con artistry. More recently, she had an unsuccessful stint as an actress. All of this points to a resourceful, slippery, and dangerous opponent who is perfectly capable of slipping away into the shadows if needed. Additionally, she's known to be a smooth talker as well, notably talking down several groups of gangsters, as well as serving as the spokeswoman of the Dexholders Initiative. As such, do not underestimate Blue, even though she may try to pass herself off as just a pretty face.

Defeating Blue is an entirely different matter then defeating her fellow Pokemon Trainers as her strengths lie in different areas. First of all, it is advisable to send a strong-willed fighter to face her so as to mitigate her silver tongue. It's also recommended to bring her to a battleground of your own choosing so that she will have a difficult time hiding or slipping away. It may be helpful to bring some means of seeing through smoke such as infrared or X ray goggles as she's known for using smokescreens on a regular basis. This also may allow for one to see through any optical illusions she may attempt. Finally, Blue appears to be the weakest physical combatant of the Pokemon Trainers and targeting her specifically may be the fastest way to defeat her. Judging by her mentality, it goes without question that she has some failsafe to defend herself, however, there is no information on what that is. Finally, Blue has been observed using more than 6 Pokemon on a semi regular basis. Be careful of her Blastoise and Nidoqueen, as they are her most powerful Pokémon.

Blue's observed Pokemon include Jigglypuff (Normal/Fairy), Blastoise (Water), Clefable (Fairy), Nidoqueen (Poison/Ground), Tropius (Grass/Flying), Mightyena (Dark), and Rapidash (Fire).

**Indigo**

Threat Level: 4.5

While Red earns this exceptional threat level due to his battling prowess, Indigo earns this exception threat level for one reason and one reason alone, his Porygon Z. Do NOT allow him to get near any electronics or he will send his Porygon Z to hack it and then use that device against you. Indigo has been seen using this strategy on a regular basis and it would be foolishness to assume that he might not use it should the opportunity be presented to him. NEVER knowingly consider sending Dr. Eggman, Dr. Wily, or any robotic fighters to fight Indigo, lest we hand him a robot army to hack on a silver platter. While it's unclear on how large of a scale Indigo is capable of hacking, its something I don't want to test.

Beyond that, Indigo is a Threat Level 4 fighter. He distinguishes himself from the other Pokemon trainers as a middle ground between power and trickery. He is also known for favoring double battles and is the most likely of the trainers to have more than two Pokémon on the field at a given time. He has a criminal past, though like Blue, much of it is shrouded in mystery. He is known to have connections to the defunct criminal syndicate Cipher, though he seems to have antagonistic relationship with them (See my report on the 2854 Masked Man and Cipher Incident in the Sevvi Islands). Having participated in Orre's Shadow Crisis, he has been seen using Shadow Pokemon in battle. Shadow Pokemon are Pokemon that have their emotions completely blocked and are more aggressive and powerful then average Pokemon. It takes a balanced and level headed trainer to control them, which speaks to Indigo's mentality as a trainer, though official records state that all known Shadow Pokemon have been purified, so don't expect to see them on the field. It is also likely that many of Indigo's Pokemon are former Shadow Pokemon. It is unknown if this grants them any special abilities or special weaknesses. Finally, Indigo brings a Snag Machine and Shadow Scanner to battle. It appears that he's modified them to have uses outside of dealing with Shadow Pokemon, but these additional functions are unknown. The only thing that is known for certain is that Indigo frequently has his Porygon Z enter his snag machine and sometimes launch attacks form the energy projector in the palm. This allows him to augment his hand to hand combat, which is otherwise lackluster and appears to be centered around street brawling rather than any formal technique. However, he has been observed using a variety of items in combat, ranging from throwing items like Flame and Toxic orbs to spraying opponents with items like Repel to blind them. While not the strongest martial artist, Indigo brings a lot of x factors to the table that make him dangerously unpredictable. Indigo's Pokémon battling style favors manipulating the environment to his advantage, frequently using entry hazards and changing the weather and terrain. Interestingly enough, when cornered, he seems to fall back upon a hyper offense strategy that seems to work more often than not, possibly a holdover from his time as a Shadow Trainer. Notably, he seems to favor a Sunny Day + Grassy Terrain setup with his Arcanine and Rapidash when cornered, so use that information accordingly. Be careful of this should you corner Indigo, he's been observed turning many losing fights around with this tactic.

The best strategy to bring down Indigo is to control the environment yourself to the best of your ability. Try to catch him away from anything he might be able to hack during a fight or combat him indoors where he can't use a weather or terrain altering move. A well armored opponent may also be able to attack Indigo himself and be immune to some of his bag of tricks. As a final warning, Indigo has been frequently observed using more than 6 Pokemon. Watch out for his Arcanine, Rapidash and Nidoking, they appear to be his strongest Pokemon. And whatever you do, keep an eye on that Porygon Z as best you can.

Indigo's observed Pokemon include Arcanine (Fire), Blastoise (Water), Breloom (Grass/Fighting), Porygon-Z (Normal), Skarmory (Steel/Flying), Nidoking (Poison/Ground), Tropius (Grass/Flying), and Rapidash (Fire).

**Final Note:**

Blue and Indigo are married, the only couple of which both are Smashers. Furthermore, the two have had a very long history of working together, both in their criminal past and during their time as Pokedex Holders. I mention this because it combines to make the two a very dangerous pair when working together in battle. While any combination of the Pokemon trainers is exponentially more dangerous than other Smashers teaming up, the combination of Indigo and Blue is especially potent. Rumor has it that they can take on the duo of Master Hand and Crazy Hand. Again, this is based off of rumors and not supported by any concrete evidence, but it speaks to how dangerous the two are when working together. Use this information as you will.

**Ally Analysis: Dr. Mario**

Dr. Mario is a highly intelligent and innovative scientist who has been instrumental in helping us build strength with his Enhanced Monster Program. His monsters are powerful juggernauts capable of immense destruction and are a valued contribution to our cause. He has two capable assistants, Mr. L and Nurse Peach, who assist him in the lab and on the battlefield. Though a scientist first and a combatant second, Dr. Mario is a formidable fighter who is not to be underestimated.

I will make a few recommendations to help Dr. Mario and his assistants reach their peak combative potential. The first thing to note is that Dr. Mario shares a near identical genetic makeup to Mario. The same is true for Mr. L and Luigi as well as for Nurse Peach and Princess Peach. This means that Dr. Mario is capable of the same potential that Mario is, and the same goes for his assistants. I would recommend continuous martial arts training for all three, while they are no doubt formidable fighters, keeping one's fighting form in top shape can be difficult on top of cutting-edge research and experiments. Another option that may be useful for Dr. Mario and his allies are the usage of a variety of weapons and gadgets. While physical combat is important, a number of gadgets may give Dr. Mario and his assistants greater versatility in combat and help level the playing field against the Smashers. Additionally, an arsenal of useful and versatile gadgets should be right up the alley of an inventive doctor. My final recommendation is for Dr. Mario and his assistants to wear light weight armor under their clothing. The armor will make Dr. Mario and his allies harder to injure in battle and improve their longevity in a fight. I have a few recommendations for materials for lightweight armor, though I doubt this will be necessary, as Dr. Mario is more than knowledgeable in such areas.

* * *

**Act 3: Young Link**

**Part 3: Bolero of Fire**

Red stared down the monster that stood in front of him. He glanced at the name plate of the stasis tube that it came from. Inscribed on the front was “Species: Firey Blowhog”. Underneath that was inscribed “Subject 025”. Whatever that meant. It wasn’t any Pokemon that he knew of. Maybe it was worth trying to catch it? The Firey Blowhog roared at Red and Saur. The Venusaur merely ruffled its leaves and remained at the ready. Good old Saur, ever levelheaded in the face of immediate combat. 

“Saur! Use Sludge Bomb!” shouted Red. Saur fired a barrage of dark purple blobs at the Blowhog, striking it square in the face. The monster staggered back and breathed a blast of fire at Saur, who didn’t take the hit well. Red quickly recalled Saur.

“Poli! Let’s go!” he shouted, sending out his Poliwrath.

Poli hit the ground and flexed its muscles at the Firey Blowhog in an act of defiance. The Blowhog roared and charged at Poli.

“Poli! Use Circle Throw!” shouted Red.

Poli stood its ground and caught the charging Blowhog with its enormous strength. The monster pushed against Poli but was unable to overcome the powerful Pokemon’s grip. Poli suddenly spun on his heel and threw the Blowhog, sending it flying through several stasis tubes.

“Now, Poli! Hydro Pump!” shouted Red. Poli unleashed a spray of water that would put a firehose to shame. It blasted the Goliath as it tried to get up, dousing it in water. The Blowhog rushed back at them, however, as it drew close, it puffed itself up into the air and tried to crush Poli beneath it.

“Poli! Use Focus Punch!” shouted Red. The Poliwrath focused for a moment, before slamming the Blowhog in the gut with a powerful punch. The monster let out a deafening bellow of pain as it rolled over onto the ground. 

“Now! Ice Beam!” shouted Red. Poli smirked and fired a frigid beam at the Fiery Blowhog. As it was covered in water already, it was quickly frozen in a layer of ice, freezing it in place.

Red took a breather for a moment. It looked like the fight was mostly over.

Red dropped back into a ready stance when he saw the monster’s snout flare red and spew fire again. Weakening the ice with the heat, it quickly thrashed itself free from its frigid prison and scrambled to its feet. The Blowhog breathed another blast of fire at Poli.

“Poli! Use Hydro Pump again!” he shouted.

Poli unleashed another focused blast of water at the Blowhog, extinguishing its fire breath, and dousing it in water, even spraying it in the trunk. The Blowhog sputtered and roared again.

“Poli! Use Ice Beam on the floor!” shouted Red. Poli fired the beam at the floor, freezing over a large patch of it. The Blowhog roared and attempted to charge across the floor but lost its footing and went sliding to the edge of the ice.

“Poli! Use Suf!” shouted Red. Poli fired a large wave of water at the Blowhog, pushing it away and drenching it in water.

“Pika!” shouted Red, reaching for another pokeball, and sending out his Pikachu. It hit the ground on all fours, ready to fight.

“Use Thunder!” shouted Red.

The monster, already covered in water, was struck by the powerful blast of electricity. It roared in pain as electrical currents surged throughout its body. Pika crouched warily as the monster convulsed. It didn’t move for a moment, before it attempted to get to its feet again.

“Use Thunder again!” shouted Red.

Pika unleashed another powerful electrical discharge, striking the Blowhog dead on. The monster roared again and fell to the ground. After some convulsing, it lay still. Red, Poli and Pika watched it for a second to make sure that it was dead.

Red turned to Poli and Pika and hi fived them. 

“Yeah! Good job, guys!”

Green and Blue stood behind their Pokemon, staring at a large, monster in front of them. Green took a look at the nameplate of the test tube.

“It’s called a Firey Blowhog,” he said quickly.

“Umm, all right?” said Blue. “Maybe don’t bring out Scizor for this thing?”

“We’ll be fine. We just have to beat it,” said Green. “Scizor! Use Bullet Punch!”

Scizor flew at the Blowhog at a surprising speed and landed a series of swift hits. The monster didn’t appear to have taken much damage, and attempted to breathe fire at Scizor, who managed to avoid the attack.

“Scizor! Use X Scissor!” shouted Green.

“Blasty! Use Skull Bash!” commanded Blue.

Both attacks hit the Blowhog square in the face. It recoiled and screeched again. It suddenly rushed forward, slamming into Blasty, knocking him over onto his shell.

“BLASTY!” yelped Blue in surprise. Green narrowed his eyes. Blastoise would be nearly helpless while stuck on its shell, and it would need some time to roll back over.

Blue reached for another Pokeball. “Nidory!”

A Nidoqueen landed on the ground, ready to fight. The Blowhog pawed the ground, ready to charge.

“Nidory! Use Superpower!”

The Nidoqueen rushed at the Firey Blowhog as it tried to charge again and managed to hold back the charging monster.

“Scizor! Use X Scissor!” shouted Green.

Scizor landed a massive X shaped slash on the side of the Firey Blowhog, which recoiled in pain.

“Nidory! Use Hyper Beam!” shouted Blue as she pushed against the side of Blasty’s shell, trying to help him right himself. Nidory charged whitish energy in its mouth, now free from trying to hold back the monster, before firing it in a massive beam.

The Firey Blowhog staggered back in the face of the mighty Hyper Beam, screeching in pain.

A thud sounded from next to them as Blue managed to roll Blasty over. Thankfully, he looked relatively unharmed.

“Blasty! Are you all right?” asked Blue. Blasty nodded but remained alert.

The Blowhog roared and sprayed another burst of fire. Blasty and Nidory blocked the attack with her arms, while Scizor quickly repositioned itself out of range.

Green grit his teeth. He turned to Blue.

“Hold it off for a minute, but don’t use water or ice moves if you can.”

Blue nodded. She had a pretty good idea of what Green was planning. 

“Blasty! Use Flash Cannon!” shouted Blue. “Nidory! Use Thunderbolt!”

“Scizor, return!” shouted Green. He pulled out another Pokeball and tossed it. A Charizard, tall and proud landed in front of him, and roared at the Blowhog.

“Charizard! Use Slash!” shouted Green. Charizard dove for the Blowhog and slashed at it with its claws. The Blowhog managed to land a headbutt, knocking back Charizard. The Pokemon roared in defiance.

“Now! Flare Blitz!” roared Green. Charizard cloaked itself in a firey aura and slammed itself into the Blowhog headfirst. 

The Blowhog staggered back, before breathing fire wildly to try and keep its foes at bay. 

“Charizard! Use Flamethrower!” shouted Green.

The attacks collided and cancelled each other out in a large ball of flames. Suddenly, the Blowhog charged again, slamming into Charizard and knocking it back onto its back. Green ran up to check on his Pokemon. The Blowhog roared fiercely at him, as Charizard scrambled to its feet.

“All right, Blasty!” said Blue. Green turned to see the Blastoise fully tucked into its shell, except for its cannons, which were facing away from the Blowhog. Blue was standing in between the cannons, lining up the Pokemon for a shot at the Blowhog.

“Now! Hydro Pump!” shouted Blue.

Blasty rocketed off at an impressive speed and crashed into the Blowhog with immense force. The Blowhog went flying through several test tubes. It didn’t get up.

Green and Blue watched it for a moment as Charizard flexed its wings, making sure that they weren’t injured.

“Well, I think that’s it,” said Green after a moment of silence. “Let’s go back up the others.”

Link and Sheik stared down a giant beast of a monster. Sheik stared at something behind the monster.

“The name plate says it’s called Spotty Bulborb.”

“Sounds familiar,” said Link. “Can’t place it, though.”

He quickly sheathed his sword and pulled out his bow. Reaching for his specialty arrows, he quickly fired a bomb, electric and ice arrow at the monster. All of them seemed to have little effect. He put away his bow and drew his sword again. A few small explosions struck the monster in the face, causing it to roar in irritation. Sheik took a few steps back, short sword at the ready. It looked like her Sheikah style smoke bombs and irritants weren’t working either. This was going to take a more brute force approach.

Link reached for his Fairy Satchel. Just like Young Link’s, it had fourth dimensional and weight reducing abilities from Fairy Dust, bestowed upon it by the Great Fairy herself, and could carry significantly more than the average person would expect. It made more sense to him then the IDD that most of the other Smashers carried with them. To each their own, he supposed.

He reached in and grabbed his ball and chain. The Bulborb roared and charged at him. Link jumped to the side and began swinging the ball and chain around his head. After a few circles, he swung the ball at the monster. It hit it straight in the leg with an audible crack. The monster roared in pain and recoiled slightly. Sheik hurled a small bomb at the Behemoth’s eyes followed by a Deku Nut. The bomb exploded in a small puff of powder, followed by a swift flash from the Deku Nut.

The Bulborb screeched in pain and thrashed wildly. Both Link and Shiek jumped back to avoid the erratic attack. The Bulborb began to get its wits about it, but Link was already swinging the ball and chain again and struck the monster square in the snout. It roared in pain again, and charged wildly, crashing into a stasis tube but failing to hit either Sheik or Link. Sheik took the opportunity to sneak behind it and climb up the Blowhog’s back. Balancing precariously on the back of the monster, Sheik plunged her weapon into the monster’s back, hanging on for dear life as it began to flail, roaring furiously.

Eventually Sheik was thrown off, and she was sent careening through one of the remaining test tubes, glass and greenish fluid flying everywhere as she crashed against the base of another one of the test tubes.

Link unsheathed his sword, having already put his ball and chain away. It wasn’t doing enough damage to cripple the beast and judging by how far it had just thrown Sheik, it was quite powerful. The Blowhog turned to him and unleashed another blast of fire. He jumped backwards, narrowly dodging a lunge, and chucked his boomerang. It flew just to the side of the Blowhog’s ear, distracting it for a split second. It was all Link needed. He lunged forward and unleashed a flurry of slashes to the Blowhog. It roared in pain, but Link backflipped away before it could retaliate while casually plucking the homecoming boomerang out of the air.

The Blowhog shook itself and pawed the ground. Link tensed. It was ready to charge. Link extended his hand, his gauntlet glowing a familiar Sheikah blue, when suddenly Sheik landed in front of him, between him and the monster, which had begun to charge.

“Daruk’s Protection!” she shouted.

Suddenly, the gauntlets on her hands flared to life with Sheikah technology and her palm began to glow. As the Blowhog began to charge, Sheik was encased with a powerful translucent red shield that materialized around her and Link.

Link was extremely glad that the Sheikah had seen fit to outfit both him and Sheik with Sheikah Gauntlets. The Sheikah Slate was pretty handy, but the miniaturization of the device into a glove had made it significantly less cumbersome to use in combat.

The Blowhog crashed headfirst into Shiek’s shield, which faltered slightly upon the impact. Link was impressed. No ordinary hit could cause the infamous Daruk’s Protection to even flinch for a second. 

Sheik let the shield fall as Link stepped up and held out his right hand, the Shiekah glove on his arm flaring to life.

“Urbosa’s Fury!” he shouted.

A bolt of electricity surged forth from his hand and shocked the monster in the face. It reared back in pain, and thrashed its trunk wildly, taking a few steps back.

Sheik pressed a different rune on her Sheikah Glove and extended her arms. A yellowish beams shot out from her hand and attached itself to one of the pod base. It suddenly began to float into the air.

“Magnesis!”

Sheik swung the pod base and slammed it into the Blowhog with sufficient force to knock it off its feet.

Link took his chance. He charged up to the fallen monster and plunged his sword between its eyes. It let out one last final screeching roar and fell still.

Link pulled his sword out and shook the blood off of it before sheathing his weapon. He nodded to Sheik and she nodded back. And with that, they set off to aid their allies.

Young Link and Indigo stood ready to battle, next to Jaws. The Arcanine was crouched, ready to spring. Indigo pulled out another Pokeball.

“Nido! You’re up!”

A Nidoking landed in front of him, next to Jaws. It roared and stepped forward. Dark Link and Blood Falcon stepped back, clearly having never fought the kinds Pokémon before them. 

Indigo chuckled menacingly. “All right! Who’s up first?”

Young Link grinned. It probably looked more like a grimace, in Goron form, but it didn’t matter too much at this point.

Dr. Mario suddenly lunged at Indigo and attempted to tackle him. Indigo jumped to the side, dodging the tackle. However, Blood Falcon lunged at him as well, managing to drag him to the ground.

“Jaws! Go for the Doc! Nido! Give me a hand!” yelled Indigo as he grappled against Blood Falcon.

Young Link caught Dark Link rushing at him out of the corner of his eye. He turned and blocked the incoming sword strike with his rocky arm. It looked just like something Link would do. Dark Link launched a flurry of blows, which Young Link successfully blocked with little effort. It was like fighting a worse version of Link. Young Link grabbed Dark Link’s sword and headbutted the clone, who was quick enough to block with his shield. Young Link grunted and batted the shield away, before headbutting Dark Link again sending him sprawling while knocking the sword out of his hand.

The clone got to his feet and whipped out his bow and began firing arrows at Young Link. He blocked with his rocky arms again, the arrows bouncing off them harmlessly. Suddenly a bomb flew through the air and blew up in his face, and Young Link took a step backwards from the force. Dark Link fired his clawshot at Young Link and latched on to his arm, before giving a strong tug. The force nearly pulled Young Link off his feet. He hadn’t been ready for that. Despite the weight of a Goron, they weren’t as immovable as they looked if you happened to catch them at just the right moment. Or wrong moment, whichever you preferred.

Young Link stumbled forward a few steps before regaining his balance and turned his head to see the follow up strike coming and managed to raise his arm to block Dark Link’s flying kick in time. Dark Link loosened his clawshot and lunged for his sword, but Young Link was faster. He curled into a ball and rolled towards the sword. A momentary second of resistance with an accompanying grunt of pain told him that he’d landed a hit. He pulled himself out of his curl and rushed back towards Dark Link as fast as he could. Dark Link was already crawling towards his sword. He turned and chucked two more bombs at Young Link. The impact of the explosions slowed him down, blinded his eyes and made his ears ring. Young Link shook his head as it wore off, slowing down. His vision returned to reveal Dark Link back on his feet, sword in hand again.

“C’mon!” Young Link shouted, punching his hand. “Is that all you’ve got?”

Dark Link silently shifted into a different stance. It looked familiar, but he couldn’t place it. Then again, he was no master of highly refined swordplay. Young Link grit his teeth. He wasn’t going to let some fancy new style beat him. He glowered at Dark Link as the two paced around each other, each waiting for the other to make the first strike. Dark Link lunged forward, and Young Link brought his arms up to block. Was that it? Too easy.

Indigo ducked under a punch from Blood Falcon and threw a punch at the clone’s gut with his Snag Machine arm. Having a fist that was encased in a metal machine let him hit a little harder than with his other hand. Not that it seemed to be doing much here. From behind Blood Falcon, Nido swung his tail, which Blood Falcon jumped over with a flashy backflip.

Indigo resumed his place behind and just to the right of Nido, panting. He had no idea why this lunatic was so intent on ignoring the angry Nidoking right in front of him and gunning for him. Not that he was the worst brawler in the galaxy, not by a long shot. It was just that Red and Green were more suited for this. Green had trained under Chuck, a fighting type expert and martial artist as a child, and Red had the advantage of training with both Bruno and Koga while he was the Champion and had picked up a lot of tricks.

Not that his street brawling experience was bad or anything, Indigo just wasn’t the guy you picked first for a fist fight. The Captain Falcon clone was nearly as strong as the original but wasn’t nearly as experienced or creative. Already, Indigo had pulled off a few tricks that Falcon would have seen through instantly. Though they were to try and keep Nido in the fight instead of him. Seriously, who went for the trainer first when their Pokemon was roaring in your face?

“Nido! Use Aqua Tail!”

Nido roared, ready to fight and land a mighty slap of the tail to Blood Falcon’s face, sending him flying into the wall. Blood Falcon jumped back onto his feet and lunged for Nido.

“Falcon KICK!”

Nido staggered back from the force of the kick and Blood Falcon lunged for Indigo again. Why was that stupid muscle head going for him? What part of the giant poison monster trying to beat him up didn’t this guy get? Indigo sidestepped his first punch and caught the second. Blood Falcon began charging fire around his free fist.

“Falcon…..”

Before he could finish, Indigo whipped a can of Repel out of his back pocket and sprayed him in the face.

“GYAH!” shouted Blood Falcon, losing focus on the attack and his fighting stance as he tried to rub the substance out of his eyes. While made to preemptively scare off wild Pokémon, a face full of Repel was a nasty suprise, even to a trainer.

“Nido! Use Thunderbolt!”

Indigo let go of his opponent as Nido landed a brutal electric shock to the clone, who fell over, convulsing.

Nido ran up to Indigo, who took a knee, looking concerned.

“I’m good, Nido, just roughed up a bit. Need a second to catch my breath. You cover me, ok?”

Indigo knew that he needed to have one of his Pokémon ready to catch the crazy maniac before he got bowled over again. If this nonsense kept up, his Pokémon would need to hit him just to hit his opponent.

Nido nodded happily and stared down the recovering Blood Falcon with its intimidating visage. Indigo reached for another Pokeball.

“Delta!”

A Breloom sprang from the Pokeball, and landed in a fighting stance.

“Quick! Use Spore!” shouted Indigo. Breloom tried to fire off the sleep inducing spores, but Blood Falcon backflipped well clear of the spore cloud.

“HAH! Your cheap tricks won’t work on me!” boomed Blood Falcon proudly.

“Delta! Use Energy Ball!”

A greenish ball of energy shot through the spore cloud quickly and struck Blood Falcon square in the chest, sending him flying back into the wall.

“You were saying?”

“Stop sending your pets to fight me! FIGHT ME LIKE A MAN!” roared Blood Falcon as he pulled himself to his feet.

“Nah, I’ll pass,” shrugged Indigo. “I’m a Pokémon trainer. I don’t really do the punching thing.”

“COWARD!”

“Meh.”

“Have you no shame? To not fight like a man?”

“No, not really,” shrugged Indigo.

“Then you are truly the most evil of the evil! For justice and freedom, I must vanquish you, scum!”

“Uh huh. Yeah. You go do that.”

“Falcon……” bellowed Blood Falcon, charging fire around his fist as he ran towards Delta.

“Counter, Delta!” shouted Indigo.

“PUNCH!”

The flaming punch struck Delta, but as quick as lightning, Delta turned on his heel and landed a tremendous tail strike to Blood Falcon’s side. The clone crashed into the door, narrowly missing Dr. Mario. The doctor cursed and backed up a little. Jaws was standing in crouched position in front of him, snarling and growling, as Dr. Mario pointed a spray bottle at him. Indigo glanced over to Delta. He looked hurt.

“Come back, buddy! Good job!”

Indigo caught a whiff of something and sniffed the air again.

“You’re using repel too, huh? You’ve done some research, haven’t you?”

“You….I was told about you…..I won’t let you beat me!” hissed Dr. Mario.

There was a silence, as Blood Falcon pulled himself to his feet, looking much worse for wear.

“All right. Let’s say the three of you can beat me and Young Link. Then what? Are you going to beat all of the others after me and my friend have worn you out? There’s seven of us total, it’s not going to happen, even if your friends on the other side of the door come to help you. Surrender, and we won’t harm you.”

“Never!” hissed Dr. Mario.

Blood Falcon charged again with an enraged cry. Nido grunted with irritation and took a defensive stance in front of Indigo. 

Indigo grimaced. So much for talking them out of it.

“Keep him pinned Jaws! I’ll be over to help you in a minute!”

Young Link blocked another flurry of strikes, not giving up an inch of ground as his opponent launched another offensive. He hadn’t thrown so much as a punch in the last few minutes.

This new style was balanced, but in a different way then Link’s style that the clone had been using. Link’s style was balanced around using techniques from several styles, connected together with a variety of general techniques. Powerful strikes, deft footwork, quick lunges and solid defense characterized Link’s personal sword style, a physically demanding but powerful and effective brand of swordplay. This was different.

It was more muted, drawing from several styles to be sure, but never straying into anything too powerful. It was strong, yet swift, yet dexterous, but in a much more unassuming way. Young Link knew he’d seen this before. It was a very down to basics style, it should have been distinctive amongst the many flashy but fairly ineffective swordsmen he tangled with on a regular basis. But where? The clone had even slung his shield onto his back. Whose style was this? It almost reminded him of Roy or Corrinne, but it didn’t quite fit either.

Dark Link rolled to his right and landed a slash to his rocky back. Young Link barely felt it. He turned and landed a mighty backhand to the clone, sending him sprawling, but the opponent picked himself up quickly and rushed back into the fray. Young Link grunted in frustration as he blocked another flurry of strikes. He had to change up his strategy. They were just stalemated against each other.

He took a quick glance around. The ceiling was not high enough to use his Rito Mask, using his Wolf Mask would be suicide against a swordsman, and his Zora Mask wasn’t going to help him in this fight.

Maybe it was better to stay in Goron form. But all he was doing was taking hits. What if he could use that to his advantage?

“Hey, buddy!” said Young Link, blocking a strike. “You want to tell me where you got that sword style? I’ve never seen it before!”

Sure he wasn’t much of a diplomat, but it didn’t hurt trying, right?

The clone remained totally silent and continued striking at Young Link. The Kokiri continued.

“You got friends? Hobbies? Uh…you got a girlfriend?”

The clone continued his silence but began attacking more aggressively.

“You don’t talk much, do you,” Young Link said flatly.

The clone jumped back and took a suspicious stance.

“You want to stop fighting? I’m ok with that,” said Young Link. Dark Link watched warily for a moment, and suddenly sheathed his sword.

“Hey! That’s a good start!” said Young Link, relaxing his stance. “I’m Young Link! What’s your name?”

Dark Link suddenly chucked a bomb followed by a boomerang at Young Link, who took both to the face.

Young Link sputtered and curled himself into a ball, hoping to get rid of the ringing in his ears while in a strong defensive position. Well, that was kind of cheap, though technically, he had sorta set himself up for it. He could feel the sword strikes fall wildly on his tough back and arms.

As the ringing in his ears faded, Young Link suddenly sprang up from his curled up ball form, causing Dark Link to jump back in surprise. He threw a quick punch, but narrowly missed his more agile opponent.

The two squared off again, staring at each other, neither willing to give up the fight.

Dark Link didn’t budge from his defensive stance. Young Link clenched his fists. All right, it was time to switch things up now.

Young Link rushed at Dark Link and threw a mighty punch. The clone blocked with his shield as best he could, but his arm still faltered under the might of the punch. He followed it up with a headbutt, sending his opponent sprawling. Young Link quickly pulled off his Goron Mask, reverting to his Kokiri form. He glared at Dark Link, who was getting back to his feet and pulled a Deku Stick out of his Fairy Pouch. Wielding it like a staff, Young Link launched a swift offensive of strikes, off balancing Dark Link and forcing him back onto a knee as he did his best to block with his shield. Young Link paused his assault as Dark Link shrunk behind his shield and shove kicked Dark Link’s shield, knocking him to the ground.

Quickly, Young Link tossed his Deku Stick aside and reached into his Fairy Pouch again, this time retrieving his Hylian Mask. He slapped it on, and transformed into an older Hylian version of himself. With one fluid motion, he drew his sword, thankful that his Great Fairy Sword changed length to match his Mask Transformations. With a battle cry, he rushed at Dark Link, who had just gotten back to his feet.

Dark Link looked around in a panic, before suddenly firing his clawshot at a grate on the ceiling. Young Link’s slash narrowly missed. He looked up to see Dark Link already releasing his clawshot and falling back towards the ground, sword pointed down. Young Link recognized that technique. The Finishing Blow. He rolled backwards, dodging the strike. He regained his balance to see Dark Link plunge his sword into the floor, watching the blade shatter. Dark Link looked at his sword in shock.

Young Link raised an eyebrow. That was a rookie mistake. Sure, he’d broken a few training swords learning the Finishing Blow when Link had taught him the technique, but the first thing that was taught while learning the technique was to avoid whiffing the move on a hard surface for fear of breaking one’s blade. Had nobody taught him this?

The clone deployed a hammer from his IDD, and Young Link shifted his stance.

Suddenly, Young Link heard a roar of pain and yell of surprise. He glanced aside to see Nido fall on his back, and Blood Falcon tackle Indigo to the ground. Fire gathered in his hand.

“FALCON….”

Indigo punched Blood Falcon in the face before opening his hand and pointing his Snag Machine at the clone. “DUX! BIG HACKS!”

Dux suddenly popped his head out of the central projector of Indigo’s snag machine and fired a triple beam of energy at Blood Falcon, who narrowly rolled out of the way.

Suddenly, Dr. Mario yelled, “RETREAT! NOW!” and he pressed the button on the door, opening it with one hand, while spraying a significant amount of Repel to keep Jaws at bay.

Dark Link turned on his heel and bolted immediately. Indigo lunged for Blood Falcon in an attempt to tackle him as he fled the battle but missed. Blood Falcon dashed off after Dr. Mario and Dark Link. As Blood Falcon dashed through the door, Jaws lunged for him, trying to bring him down, but Dr. Mario was already at the control panel on the other side and slammed the door in front of Jaw’s nose. Jaws slammed into the door with a crash.

“Jaws! You all right buddy?” asked Indigo, recalling Nido.

Jaws pulled himself to his feet and growled at the door.

Young Link rushed up to the door and pressed the open button frantically. The door slid open to reveal Dr. Mario and his two compatriots rushing down the hallway as fast as they could.

“Hey! What’s going on?” asked Red as he and all of the other smashers arrived behind them.

“They escaped through the door!” shouted Indigo as he rushed through the door. “AFTER THEM!” 

Young Link bolted down the corridor as quickly as he could, followed by Indigo and Jaws, who were also running at breakneck pace behind him. He couldn’t see the enemy, but he’d seen them turning around a corner, just a little further down the hall. He whipped around the corner to see a dark, swirling portal. Indigo came up close behind him, when suddenly, the portal disappeared into thin air. The others ran up just as the portal vanished.

“Hey! Where’d it go?” asked Indigo.

“I dunno,” said Young Link. Had they disabled the portal from the other side? How were they able to do that so quickly?

Indigo pulled out the R-47 scanner.

“No signal. That portal must have been it,” he said.

“So that portal was what we were homing in on all this time?” asked Green.

“Seems like it,” said Indigo.

“How were they able to get away?” asked Blue. “Wasn’t Dux jamming the door?”

“They attacked me head on and I eventually had to call Dux in to get that Blood Falcon guy off of me. But the way they fought was strange. It’s like they were trying to forcing me to recall Dux by attacking me directly to get him out of the control panel.” said Indigo.

“So, you’re saying that they had information on you?” asked Green, worried.

“Seems like it, yeah,” said Indigo. “I didn’t think I was that important. Mario? Definitely. Link? Yeah. Red? Wouldn’t be surprised. Me, though? I’m not one of the big shots. That seems strange that would even bother with me.”

“I dunno, you’re the one who can hack entire buildings with that Porygon Z of yours. I’d be worried,” said Blue.

“Eh, fair point. But you know me and how I fight. How did they know that?” asked Indigo.

“That is strange…..do you think they have that kind of information on all of us?” asked Red.

“I don’t think so,” said Young Link. “The Link clone that I fought didn’t seem as prepared to fight me. He didn’t know beforehand that my skin in Goron form can resist sword strikes.”

“You fought my clone?” asked Link.

“Yeah. His fighting style matched yours too. It was like a poor man’s version of your technique.”

“What? I guess they really did copy my style,” asked Link in surprise.

“I guess they did. Though we should take a look around while we’re here. It sounds like they were planning on abandoning this place anyway but there might be something still left around,” said Green.

“Sounds like a plan!” said Red.

The Smashers dispersed throughout the area. However, they soon discovered that the base was totally gutted other than the room with the test tubes and the laboratory they had passed through. On closer inspection, the machines in the lab were discovered to be cheap look alikes touched up to look like more important pieces of equipment. A few were rigged with explosives but these were quickly defused by Blue and Indigo. All of the valuable equipment had been removed from the location. After sweeping the base, taking biological samples from the fallen monsters for Olimar to analyze back at Smash Mansion, and inspecting anything of interest, they reconvened at the entrance.

“Well, I guess that’s it,” said Red.

“So…..what now?” asked Blue.

“We report back to Saria and let the Great Fairy know what’s going on. After that, we get back in contact with Smash Mansion. See if Roy needs help or something,” said Young Link.

Green nodded. “All right. I’m sure the others will want to hear about what we’ve found.”

Young Link nodded. 

As they walked out, Link patted him on the shoulder. “Hey, good job on fighting my clone! Hope he wasn’t too much trouble?”

Young Link grinned. “Eh, not too bad. You can never quite copy the original, right?”

Link grinned. “I guess not.”

As the others filed out of the doors, back into the feeding pit, Young Link took a glance back into the laboratory. A feeling of dread washed over him. There had been a lot of empty stasis tubes. Hopefully it was just a bunch of those monsters that the others had fought. But there had been the bigger stasis tubes. A pang of guilt shot through Young Link. How had he missed this place? How could he have….

“Hey Young Link! You coming?” said Red, climbing onto Aero’s back. Blue and Green had already taken off and Indigo and Striker were already out of sight, high in the sky.

“Yeah! Right behind you!”

Young Link slapped his Rito mask onto his face and quickly began flapping his wings, taking off from the ground, and soaring into the sky after Red. He took one last look at the lab below him, before swooping off after the others. 

And with that, Young Link left the lab to sit desolate in the forest.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And that’s a wrap on Act 3: Young Link! Next time…..Act 4: Samus! See you all then!


	10. Chapter 10

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey everybody! So unfortunately, this was supposed to go up this past Saturday, but some IRL stuff prevented me from getting this chapter out any sooner. Sorry about that.   
> With that out of the way, let’s kick off the next arc!

**Samus Aran of the Chozo**

Threat Level: 5

Samus Aran is a powerful Chozo warrior and considered to be one of the strongest Smashers. The first thing to cover when discussing Samus is her power suit. The suit is armed with a powerful arm cannon armed with a vast arsenal that includes a variety of laser and elemental weaponry, a number of missiles and a compliment of bombs. Coupled with her precision marksmanship, this alone makes Samus an opponent to be feared. The armor itself is quite durable as well and has been seen protecting Samus from dangers like acidic environments, close proximity to lava and the frigid depths of hard vacuum in space. Furthermore, Samus’s suit is equipped with a number of movement enhancing abilities, including a thruster pack, the ability to minimize itself into a ball, and of course is equipped with the Chozo’s famed Spin Attack. Now to discuss the warrior under the suit. While significantly less threatening outside the suit, Samus is a top-notch martial artist and wields a whip variant of Paralyzer. She is also equipped with rocket boosters on her feet that allow her to fly short distances, even outside of the suit. They also pack a nasty punch when used with a kick. It should be noted that Samus is not one that is known for going all out in battle on a regular basis. This can be accounted for by the Chozo tenants of restraint and using exact amounts of force in battle. Nevertheless, if necessary, Samus will use everything at her disposal to down her enemies.

To fight Samus, it must be mentioned that any means of disabling her power suit, or more specifically, her arm cannon, is worthwhile. It is her only weapon on her suit, and without it, she’s lost most of her ranged weaponry. Do not forget that even without her suit, she is dangerous martial artist, though she is much less menacing than with her arm cannon. Furthermore, though her armor is tough, it is not invincible, and it can be damaged with overwhelming firepower. One strategy that may be worth attempting is launching an all-out offensive against Samus at the beginning of a fight, due to her Chozo mentality of moderation, as she will never open with her most powerful weaponry. This strategy may be able to catch her by surprise and allow for one to seriously damage her armor or arm cannon early in the fight. A second strategy would be to surround Samus with a team, as Samus’s weaponry is mostly lasers and missiles and she shoot in more than one direction at once. Remember, Samus is a potent fighter at both short and long ranges, and underestimating her at any range is folly at best.

**Timberwolf Squad:**

It is common knowledge that many consider Humans to be inferior in all aspects to many of the other species in the galaxy due to their lesser ability to improve their physical abilities then other species and lack of children born with special powers. However, a careful analysis of their methods of warfare reveals many interesting tactics and strategies never seen before in the galaxy at large that may be able to match or even surpass the gold standard of tactics as we previously knew it. As the four members of Timberwolf Squad are well versed in such strategies and tactics, they are not to be underestimated. As with the Pokemon Trainers, I will provide a general history and general counters here before providing specific information and specific counters for each member of the team.

I will first include a brief summary of relevant human history. It appears humans come from a homeworld known as Earth. At some point, they began to colonize inhabitable planets, using wormhole generators to get from planet to planet. Eventually, they colonized a stretch known as the “Far Arm”. However, after some sort of disaster, the wormhole generator leading back to Earth was destroyed and the Far Arm colonies were cut off. After a rapid succession of catastrophic events and brutal civil wars, the Far Arm colonies were reduced to a single planet, Horizon. After a civil war of its own against a would-be dictator, the planet’s political climate appears to have stabilized and the humans enjoy relative harmony. The four members of Timberwolf Squad all call this planet home.

Human soldiers utilize firearms and explosives near exclusively and are equipped with personal energy shields. This trend holds true for the members of Timberwolf Squad. This makes them very dangerous at medium, long and extreme combat distances. In this respect they are similar to the Cornerian Armed Forces, save for their near laser focus on ranged combat, and their highly intricate squad tactics. Each member of Timberwolf Squad additionally carries specialized weaponry that allows them to fill a specific role on the team. While equipped with melee weapons like knives, they have an extreme de-emphasis on melee combat and generally prefer ranged combat.

Timberwolf Squad, despite the name, was not originally a military unit. Instead it was a small salvaging company founded almost 5 years ago. Salvaging companies are enterprises that return to the abandoned human colonies and attempt to salvage and bring back useful things from the ruins of the former colonies. As there are a number of dangers associated with being a salvager, most salvagers are well versed in combat and many are former soldiers. The members of Timberwolf Squad are no exception to this rule and are quite dangerous opponents. They ran a successful operation until they were recruited by the Smashers. The circumstances of their recruitment have never been disclosed to the public.

On the surface, the plan to defeat them is simple – all one needs is a fighter fast enough to dodge their weapon’s fire and get into melee range. From there, the humans will be too slow to react and will be easy pickings. While this plan is good in principle, there are a few things that complicate matters. First are their energy shields, which are known for being able to eat many hits. Energy shields are capable of absorbing multiple lasers and even absorbing nearby explosions before breaking, so do not expect to be able to break it with a single punch. Second is their focus on teamwork. Often, they’re seen taking support roles in combat with other Smashers, and it is very rare to see any of them fight alone. This means that they will often be surrounded by other fighters who are better suited to conventional combat. Finally, their focus on longer range combat may make it difficult to close the distance. Despite all of this, closing the distance and defeating them in hand to hand combat is the best strategy. Other strategies that may help include disarming them or disabling their power suits and shields with EMP.

Note 1: These four Smashers share many similar abilities and weapons. The weapons that I can confirm that all of them carry include a laser assault rifle, a laser pistol, and a combat knife. They also are armed with energy shielding. They also appear to use power suits that increase the wearers strength and durability. The power suits also include jetpacks, heavy energy shielding and arm cannons that seem to differ from Chozo designs. All of these arm cannons appear to have the ability to fire a laser LMG, rockets, grenades, and flamethrowers. Each member of Timberwolf Squad also appears to carry their own personal weapons – I’ll discuss these in their personal bios.

Note 2: As humans as a species are very recent additions to the Galactic Assembly, knowledge on their martial arts is not widespread at the time of writing. As such, while the information here has been researched to the best of my ability, it is not complete, and some parts may be inaccurate.

Note 3: Each member of Timberwolf Squad appears to have had a background in a specific military unit. As little is known about each specific Smasher, my analysis will also cover the unit they correspond to so as to flesh out a profile for them. I apologize for the extra length in advance, as their unconventional methods of combat will require extra explanation.

* * *

**Act 4: Samus  
Chapter 1: Foundation**

Samus watched the world pass by outside of her as she sat in the passenger seat of a large van. It was remarkable how peaceful it all was, here on Harmony. Just another highway on another day. Or so everybody thought. Hopefully it was going to stay that way.

Scrapper sat behind the wheel of the van, eyes intently on the road. Their vehicle was disguised as a power company van to avoid attracting attention. It would do no good to cause public panic by revealing that an unknown enemy force had set up a base on one of the safest planets in the galaxy, especially after what had happened yesterday. There had already been enough panic after yesterday’s attack. The news stations had been all over it, and Roy’s press conference had been very highly publicized. There was no need for any extra panic. 

Samus sighed. She did not like this situation in the slightest. She was used to going alone or with a small team. All of these civilians and police officers around made her nervous. Everything should be just fine. But there was no guarantee that everything would go just fine. Samus had learned that the hard way before.

As Roy had mentioned, the base absolutely had to be well hidden, otherwise somebody would have picked up on something funny coming from the area. That meant an underground base. Which to be fair, she was very used to, having fought her way through Zebes, SR-388, and various scientific facilities. She’d taken this mission because of that experience. And she’d built her team around that.

Timberwolf Squad was the easy choice to bring with her. Each member of the squad was armed with a variety of weaponry and was familiar with fighting in close quarter environments against many different kinds of enemies. Even if some of their members had an aversion to close quarters combat. She flicked her eyes to Scrapper, who was still driving. He didn’t look too nervous. Scrapper was always more effective with sky access and a lot of space, usually preferring to either rely on his sniper rifle or DMR or provide support from the sky from his dropship. Thankfully, he was an engineer and tinkerer first and a marksman second, so he was still comfortable with using closer range weapons, and his surveillance and intel gathering abilities were bar none except for possibly Indigo amongst the Smashers. This was balanced out by Cordelia, who preferred up close and personal battles with her machine pistols and power suit boosted martial arts, even if she also was generally more effective running and fighting at full speed over rooftops, uneven terrain, and cluttered landscapes where others could not. Packrat was probably the one who on paper was the best for this mission. His sentry guns would obliterate both small and large groups of enemies alike down long but confined corridors. The fact that he loved big weapons with high rates of fire and high ammo capacity didn’t hurt either. Finally, Skylark was a flexible fighter and could chip in for just about any situation, and her medic skills were always handy. While less specialized then the others were combat wise, she always pulled her weight, no matter where she was. Individually, Timberwolf Squad made a formidable group, but their years of experience working with each other made them exponentially more effective as a team.

Finally, Falcon acted as a much-needed source of extra power and a brute force answer to more conventional problems. It was always best to pair the specialized members of Timberwolf Squad with more conventional Smashers, like herself and Falcon. After all, they were humans, and didn’t have the same strength, speed, durability and other physical attributes like every other species in the galaxy. For instance, humans couldn’t just train a lot and be fast enough to dodge laser fire or lift rocks in excess of 500 pounds. Well, Samus was human too, but her Chozo DNA effectively put her on par with everybody else. But it wasn’t worth pondering things that she already knew at this point. They had their mission. Samus had everything she needed to make this mission a success. All they had to do was carry it out. 

The others were carrying on a conversation behind her.

“So, how’s the F Zero life treating you, Falcon? Saw you won the Aquas Grand Prix a few weeks ago!” said Packrat.

“Yeah, that one was close. I was up against Samurai Goroh. You don’t become my self-proclaimed rival and keep the title without being real good,” said Captain Falcon. “He’s persistent because he’s never beat me, but it keeps me on my toes, that’s for sure!”

“No doubt!” said Packrat.

“Well, if you wanted to stay on your toes, you could have driven us! We would have gotten there already!” said Skylark, poking the back of Scrapper’s chair.

Scrapper did an exaggerated yawn and let his foot off the gas a little.

“Chop chop, slacker! We don’t have all day!”

Scrapper just chuckled and decreased his speed a little more.

Skylark rolled her eyes impatiently.

“Actually, this is our exit, coming up,” said Samus. “The cross streets we’re going to are Sunflower and Highland.”

“They have the exit blocked for us, right?” asked Scrapper.

“That’s correct.”

Scrapper pulled onto the off ramp, slowing as he rolled up to the barricade. Samus stuck her head out of the passenger window and waved. The police officers waved back and moved the barricade so they could get through. They made a left, and in a few minutes of driving through the empty roads, they arrived at a fairly large park. Scrapper pulled over next to the large array of police cars and stopped the car. As the others filed out, Scrapper locked the van and followed the others onto the sidewalk. Immediately upon stepping outside of the van, Samus activated her armor around herself. Packrat, Cordelia, Scrapper and Skylark pulled their various facemasks and eyewear over their faces. Apparently, it was a human convention for soldiers to cover their faces in battle. It was one of the interesting things that Samus had learned about her home species. She’d tried it herself for a little while, but she couldn’t get used to any of masks she’d tried. It wasn’t the end of the world, she was half Chozo as well, after all.

As she warmed up her arm cannon, the holographic outline of various weapons appeared in the hands of Packrat, Cordelia and Skylark as they deployed their weapons from their IDDs. After a few seconds the actual weapon appeared in their hands with a flash of light. Packrat slung his SAW onto his back, while Cordelia and Skylark both fiddled with their Assault Rifles for a moment, before following suit. Scrapper did the same, though instead of an assault rifle, his enhanced ballistic shield and a shotgun with an underbarrel shotgun appeared in his hands. He hoisted the shield onto his arm and slung the shotgun onto his back.

Samus never understood why they didn’t just suit up with their powersuits at the beginning of missions. While not the same as her Chozo Powersuit, the powersuit worn by each member of Timberwolf Squad was a sophisticated piece of technology. Packrat had once tried to explain the powersuit’s system to her. She wasn’t as technically skilled as Packrat and Scrapper, the two inventors of the team, she did understand the gist of how the suit was controlled. Apparently, the helmet housed a modified VR headset of all things. As long as the wearer used clear, focused thoughts, the helmet could read the wearer’s mind and make the suit do things without any other inputs from the user. Or something like that. Practically, it meant that the wearers could control their suit’s functions with only their thoughts. In conjunction with the IDD system and the other abilities of the suits, it exponentially increased the capabilities of the wearer. In some ways, it seemed like an upgrade to her suit, which was controlled by tracking her eye movement on her HUD. Despite this, the Chozo elders seemed unwilling to let her make the upgrade as it was “not harmonious” or something like that. Bunch of stuffy old philosophers.

“Are we ready? Let’s move!” said Samus.

They began walking towards the park. As they did, a policeman came up to them.

“Smashers! Glad you could make it. Chief Wilson is up ahead at the park!”

“Thanks officer. We’ll follow you in,” said Samus.

The Smashers followed the officer across the street and towards a pavilion that had a lot of police personnel milling around. As they came close, a Lylatian looked up.

Samus waved. “Chief Wilson! Good to see you!”

The chief smiled wryly. “It’s good to see you, Samus. Wish it was under better circumstances. Are you ready to investigate the area?”

“That’s right, sir.”

“Good. I have a lot of complaints buzzing in my ear about the disruption this is causing. This had better be something big,” said Chief Wilson.

“We are confident that it is,” said Samus.

Chief Wilson nodded. “All right then. Better let you get to it then. Let one of my officers know if you need anything.”

“Very well. We’ll begin our investigation.”

Samus nodded to the others. Scrapper and Skylark pulled out two scanners and began surveying the area. 

“Go east,” said Skylark after a few moments to inspect her scanner. “The signal’s very strong here.”

“Yeah,” said Scrapper, in agreement. “We’re close, that’s for sure.”

They kept walking, following the signal until they came up to the entrance of a large storm drain in the side of the park’s retention pond.

Samus, followed by the others, followed Skylark up to the grate.

“Signal’s strongest here. Do we want to go in there?” asked Skylark.

“Yeah. Everybody stand back for a second,” said Samus.

Samus fiddled with her arm cannon’s settings for a minute before firing a continuous beam of plasma at a few of the bars, cutting through them and allowing access through.

“All right, let’s get in there.”

Scrapper led the party, ballistic shield and handgun at the ready. Samus followed him, then Packrat, then Cordelia and Skylark, with Falcon leading up the rear. Scrapper stopped in his tracks.

“Look at this. The side’s been caved in and there’s a hatch here.”

“How’s the scanner looking?” asked Samus.

There was a pause, before Skylark said, “The R-47 readings are higher here. That’s enough for me! This has got to be it.”

They gathered around the hatch. It was a small, 1 person wide hatch that appeared to be more for a small secret bunker.

“Are you sure this is it?” asked Captain Falcon.

“I can also see the top floor of a structure under the hatch with my X-Ray visor. It looks like it could be the interior of a base. We should definitely investigate this,” said Samus.

Walking up to the hatch, Samus noted that it was kept shut with a few basic locks. She blasted the locks with her Ice Beam, before punching them, shattering them into pieces. She unlatched the lid, flipped it open, and was about to go down the stairs, when Scrapper stopped her.

“Let me scout out the area. Make sure it’s safe.”

“Right.”

A small square drone about the size of a dinner plate with four rotors and a small gun underneath appeared from Scrapper’s IDD after a few seconds. 

“All right, Firefly! Time to shine!” he muttered.

He crouched and tapped a small screen on his IDD gauntlet. The Firefly drone took off and stabilized itself before vanishing from sight as it moved over the hole. Samus rolled her eyes. Scrapper and his cloaking devices. The smashers waited as Scrapper continued to control drone from his gauntlet.

“So…..you think we’ll run into those guys that Roy and the others fought?” asked Cordelia.

“No idea. I guess we’ll find out when we get down there,” said Samus.

“If we do, I want to face my clone. I want to see how he fights,” said Captain Falcon.

“I don’t blame you. If I had a clone of me, I’d want to fight them too,” said Cordelia.

Falcon nodded, and the group fell into silence again. After another minute, Scrapper looked up and said, “Ok, looks like the base of the ladder is clear. Had to take out a camera, so they might get suspicious if anyone’s watching the security feed.”

Samus nodded and started climbing down the ladder. It was a bit awkward for her, with one of her arms taken up by her arm cannon, but she made it down without incident.

At the bottom of the ladder, she stood guard as the others climbed down the ladder. Next was Scrapper. As he stepped off of the ladder, he pulled his ballistic shield off of his back and crouched squarely in the doorway to the long hallway that stretched before them with his shield at the ready. Samus stood behind him, aiming over his head. As the rest reached the bottom, Scrapper knelt down in a corner, and sent Firefly down the hallway a decent distance.

“Nobody’s there. It seems awful quiet too,” said Scrapper.

“All right, they still don’t see us,” said Samus. “Let’s keep moving.”

They moved down the hallway quickly but quietly. At the end of the hallway, they came to an intersection in the hallway. Scrapper carefully sent his drone down each hallway, while the others stood on guard at the ready. After some time, the drone returned to him.

“All three hallways are clear. The one to the right is the only one that goes somewhere, though. But something’s off. There’s literally nobody here. I haven’t seen a single guard.”

“Have they abandoned this base already? That…..seems off,” said Captain Falcon.

“Maybe the place is trapped?” wondered Scrapper. “Lemme scan the area real quick.”

He tapped the side of his goggles, which lit up as he scanned the area.

“Nothing. No heat signatures, no electronics, no nothing. I’ll keep scanning every now and again.”

Samus stood up. “All right, if this base is abandoned, then we need to confirm that it is. Keep an eye out for ambushes or any presents they left behind.”

“Rodger that!” said Skylark.

The group relaxed slightly, and began moving forward again, still with care. As they moved along, they came across what appeared to be the barracks for the base’s garrison. It was totally empty. Nothing was left, only some garbage on the floor and heavy signs of wear from its occupants. 

“What on earth? They really did a number on this place……” said Cordelia.

Skylark eyed the area critically. “They took everything from here……are they that short on supplies? You don’t usually take every last thing with you if you’re leaving in a hurry……well, unless you’re Packrat.”

“You know me! Waste not, want not!” said Packrat.

“It’s Space Pirate mentality. Never leave anything behind,” said Samus. “That’s how you know the Space Pirates raided something. They take literally everything that’s not bolted down and some of what is, depending on how much time they’ve had.”

“Space Pirates….not the first time I’ve fought them and not gonna be the last time either,” said Falcon grimly.

“That’s a strange mentality to just take every last thing like that,” said Skylark. “Surely you don’t have to take everything with you.”

“Hmm……it’s not the worst mentaltily. If you’re creative enough, it’s surprising what you can make out of stuff you find lying around,” said Scrapper. “Junk can have value, you know.”

“Of course, _you’d_ say that,” said Skylark, rolling her eyes.

Cordelia just shrugged. “What else did you expect him to say?”

“Fair enough.”

The Smashers continued forward, with Scrapper scanning for traps every now and again. They came across several other rooms. One appeared to be a security hub. All of the electronics and computers had been taken. Even the desks and chairs were no longer there. They discovered an area that appeared to resemble a cafeteria. As before, every single table, chair and appliance had been removed. Even the counters hadn’t been left behind. A third area appeared to house a few offices, just beyond what looked to be a firing range.

Samus looked on this with a growing sense of dread. How had they not noticed all of this right underneath their noses? Had it been because they were careless? Had they not been looking hard enough for hidden enemies in a time of peace? But how could they have known? Nobody was looking for Subspace energy in the heart of the known galaxy.

They moved back into the hallway, after clearing what looked to be the former bathrooms. After moving down some distance they came to another room that looked like a meeting room.

“They have a meeting room?” asked Packrat in surprise. “How long were they here? This is the kind of thing they don’t set up unless you’re digging in for a while.”

“Well, they had a firing range, proper barracks, and offices. I’d reckon they were here for at least 6 months, maybe longer,” said Cordelia.

“What were they doing down here, though?” asked Packrat. “Can’t be research and development, and its far too small to support a potential invasion force.”

“A listening outpost?” asked Scrapper. “They could have set up a rig to keep an eye on communications. They would intercept information on what was going on here. It wouldn’t have been that hard.”

“But why reveal themselves now? Everything was going well,” said Packrat. 

Samus cleared her throat. “If we keep investigating, maybe we’ll find out.”

“Eh, fair enough. All right, let’s keep going, unless there’s anything to be seen here,” said Skylark.

Scrapper did a quick scan of the room.

“I got nothing. Gonna drone ahead again.”

Scrapper took a knee and reactivated Firefly. Samus stopped near the door and raised her arm cannon in readiness. It was still quiet. However, something seemed different here. Listening intently, Samus thought she heard some very faint noises. Something was moving, but some distance away. Her finger curled around the trigger of her arm cannon in anticipation.

Was it just the Space Pirates? Maybe they were accompanied by an army of Subspace monsters? The Subspace radiation was enough of a giveaway. What if there were more clones? Now that was a scary thought. They’d already seen four clones, who was to say that there weren’t more? Who knew what else lay down the tunnels? More monsters? Hostile combat robots? Perhaps even a Lord of Subspace, like Tabuu?

Samus hissed under her breath as she quickly stopped her train of thought. She knew better then to do that. It had nearly been the death of her on Zebes and she’d made a point to never do it again. Baseless speculation got her nowhere and just ate at her resolve to complete the mission. She had to return her mind to the facts.

She had a team of powerful and competent Smashers backing her up. They were up against an unknown force that was at least partially comprised of Space Pirates. And since they were on Harmony and could call in a lot of other Smashers very quickly if needed. There was nothing to worry about. Only a mission to complete and bad guys to defeat. 

Scrapper suddenly held up his hand.

“What is it?” whispered Samus.

“I’ve spotted them, up ahead. You were right, we’ve got Space Pirates.”

Samus nodded to Scrapper in acknowledgement. A certain somebody who had a bad habit of coming back seemingly from the dead was pulling his usual tricks again. And she was going to make sure that he wasn’t coming back after this mess was over.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just a heads up – the character bio section might be a bit long next time. The OC bios will probably be a bit longer next time due to the nature of giving backstory on a totally new character. I’m thinking I’ll do CF, Packrat and Cordelia next time and then do Scrapper and Skylark for the final chapter.


	11. Chapter 11

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ok, so a heads up in advance, the OC bios are going to make the Smasher Bio section a bit long this time. I don’t anticipate having any other Smasher Bios be longer than this one, since in the next arc, we’ll start to have characters return to the spotlight. Hopefully it isn’t too much of a hassle for this chapter. Sorry about that.

**Captain Douglas J. Falcon**

Threat Level: 5 

Captain Falcon is an F -Zero racer with a lot of flashy techniques and a big ego. Don’t let that distract you from the fact that he was a bounty hunter for years and considered to be one of the most powerful Smashers for a reason. His Falcon Powers and martial arts expertise is not to be discounted lightly. His specific martial arts style is unknown in origin, but it appears to be focused exclusively around landing powerful strikes rather than blocking, countering or throwing the opponent. To compliment this, Falcon’s physical stamina is immense, allowing him to use his energy intensive fighting technique for extended periods of time. All of this is boosted by his Falcon Powers. It is believed that Falcon’s abilities are a form of kinetic energy manipulation instead of a form of pyrokinesis. Falcon has been observed using his powers underwater and in low oxygen environments with no issues and they do not seem to be able to catch things on fire. I would also be remiss to fail to mention his two vehicles, the Blue Falcon the Falcon Flyer, a racecar and ship respectively. While he does not call these into battle frequently, he will use them to make fast escapes, and can call them to his location remotely. These vehicles do not appear to be armed and are only extremely fast. On his time as a bounty hunter, few details are available, but considering he was an active bounty hunter for roughly 20 years, its not unreasonable to say that he has a sharp eye, quick reflexes, a lot of experience and a keen understanding of how a target thinks and will fight. Do not underestimate him, even for a moment, because he will likely be able to take advantage of it. In terms of weaponry, Captain Falcon is known to carry a blaster pistol on him. That being said, it’s usually not his first response, he will use only use it when the situation calls for it. Finally, it is worth mentioning the Flaming Falcon, Captain Falcon’s powered up form. This increases the power of all of his attacks. It is easily distinguishable by the intense Blue Falcon Energy aura that cloaks him while in this form. It is strongly advised to avoid combat with Captain Falcon when he is in this form if you do not possess significant power.

To combat Captain Falcon, rough, uneven terrain and long-range weaponry is suggested, as he generally prefers close quarters combat. Try to keep him at a distance, and try to land hits as he rushes in. He may also be at a slight disadvantage in a natural environment, as most of his fighting experience is most likely within Mute City and other urban landscapes. Don’t count too heavily on this one, as one does not remain a successful bounty hunter if one can’t handle a number of environments. As his powers appear to be kinetic energy based, any means of absorbing or reflecting kinetic energy presents itself as a means of defense against such attacks. It may be also possible to disrupt or ignite the energy with another burst of energy, though this has never been attempted on Falcon. It is worth nothing that his suit is very thin, and while it’s likely it is lightly armored, its not going to be turning dedicated strikes. Remember to keep your distance and let him come to you. It won’t be an easy fight, but it is a winnable one.   
  


**Packrat**

Threat Level: 3

Packrat is an interesting case, as while clearly a Human fighter, he more closely resembles the Pokemon Trainers than anything else. Packrat is known to be a Sentry Guardian. Sentry Guardians originally hail from the planet of Loek III as the security force of the Britech Corperation. After the fall of Loek III and Britech Corperation, they settled the continent of New Michigan on Horizon along with the refugees of the collapse. They are known for their usage of a variety of sentry guns and support gadgets, carried and deployed from specially made heavy duty IDDs. They are known for their tactical maneuvers and for the immovable nature of their combat style, enforced by their overwhelming sentry gun firepower. These tactics were so effective that the Horizon Military designated a Sentry Specialist as a specialization for individual units and additionally created the Sentry Engineer Corps.

During the Horizon Civil War, Sentry Guardians held a defensive line along the Big Sky River against the full wrath of Grey Army forces for several months and repulsed all attempts to break their line with severe casualties. Later in the war, they applied slow but heavy offensive pressure, moving their deadly line of sentry guns forward, mile by mile, slowly boxing in the Grey Army. Sentry Guardians utilize a variety of anti-personnel, anti-tank and anti-aircraft, sentry guns. They are also known to favor small arms with high rates of fire and large magazine sizes.

Packrat is no exception to this rule. He has been observed deploying a variety of sentry guns in combat and seems to possess a personal LMG with an extended magazine. Furthermore, Packrat is also known for favoring the use of explosive traps and mines. Finally, Packrat is also in possession of some sort of reality warping device. It’s large grey box with the Timberwolf Squad logo on each side, and it appears to be a contraption of his own devising. While the designation of Packrat’s device is unknown, it has been observed creating gravity wells, generating EMP pulses and generating fields in which movement is slowed. Any further abilities of this device are unknown.

There are a number of ways to defeat Packrat. The first thing that should be noted is that any sentry gun or gadget that Packrat deploys should be destroyed as soon as it can safely be done. Just be warned, the nickname “Packrat” likely denotes that he’s got plenty of spares. If one should get the opportunity to attack Packrat before he can set up his defenses, it is a worthwhile effort, as Packrat will always be more dangerous the more sentry guns he has on the field. As for his guns, all manner of attacks have been proven effective for destroying them, it’s more of a matter of landing the attack without getting injured. Remember, it’s more of the quantity of sentry guns rather than the quality that seems to be the troublesome factor. As for the man himself, the last one thing that seems to stand out about Packrat is his remarkably stationary fighting style. While this seems strange for a combatant, it makes sense due to the stationary nature of his sentry guns. As such, a fast opponent is best suited to take on Packrat, to destroy his sentry guns quickly and bring him down before he can react. Packrat is only as dangerous as the number of sentry guns he has on the field and when he’s all alone, he’s easy pickings.

**Cordelia**

Threat Level: 3

Cordelia is a member of the collective known as the Windrunners. The Windrunners are an interesting group, having been created by the fusion of two separate groups, the Runners and Splitgate Tournament teams. Both originally hail from the planet of Cygnus Prime and are associated with a number of cities, most notably the Shard, the City of Glass. The Runners were a group of social outcasts who lived in small groups and were masters of a movement technique called parkour. The Splitgate Tournament was a professional sports league of sorts in which teams utilized stun laser weapons and wrist mounted portal guns to fight each other in an arena similar to the Splatfests seen in Inkopolois. As the Cygnus Prime government grew more restrictive and more corrupt, the two groups combined with others who were dissatisfied by the state of things and formed the Windrunners. The Windrunners attempted to live peacefully off the grid, however, after being antagonized by the government, fighting broke out. After several small conflicts and high tension, the Windrunners escaped the planet on a stolen ship shortly before the planetary government collapsed. They settled in the capitol of Horizon, New Toronto, favoring a cityscape similar to the one they left.

During the Horizon Civil War, the Windrunners formed an underground resistance, helping dissidents escape the clutches of the Grey Army and sabotaging critical military locales. Towards the midpoint of the war, their network was exposed, and they were forced to flee. Joining forces with the Sentry Guardians, they acted as much needed light assault teams, counterbalancing the Sentry Guardian’s immovable combat style.

Cordelia’s combat style revolves around continuous movement, running and climbing around her environment and shooting while she runs. It’s a very hit and run style of combat. She augments her movement capabilities with various equipment such as a wrist mounted grappling hook, jet thrusters on her boots, and a wrist mounted portal gun. Unfortunately, there’s precious little information on the portal gun she uses, but it appears to require a surface with enough flat space for the portal to deploy. For combat itself, Cordelia seems to prefer dual wielding small weapons like pistols and machine pistols, though she is known to use other maneuverable automatic weapons like SMGs and assault rifles. Cordelia is also the only member of Timberwolf Squad to ever be seen engaging an opponent in hand to hand combat. Her style seems to be highly momentum based, and very aggressive, though my lack of familiarity with human martial arts prevents me from saying anything more with certainty.

There are a few strategies that can be used to defeat Cordelia, all of which limit her ability to move. The first is to force her into an enclosed area to limit her movement, like a small room or tight corridor. While she is fast and can augment her speed and movement, parkour users seem to need open areas with a lot of space to be most effective. Another strategy that can be used is to destroy the environment around her. While it won’t slow her down any, it will prevent her from taking routes she previously would have taken and force her to slow down. If you’re lucky, she may twist an ankle or otherwise injure herself. My last recommendation is to try to injure one of her limbs. As parkour requires both legs and both arms to utilize effectively, injuring any of her limbs will force her to slow down significantly. Cordelia is fast, but not so fast that she can outrun defeat.

* * *

**Act 4: Samus**

**Chapter 2: Headlong**

Scrapper continued to scout ahead with his Firefly drone as the others waited in anticipation. After a minute, the drone returned.

“They’re carrying all sorts of stuff through some sort of portal,” he said. “I saw a bunch of equipment, boxes of supplies, weapons, that kinda thing. They actually seem to be moving in a coordinated fashion for once.”

“Do you see Ridley?” asked Samus.

“No, I don’t see him. I don’t think he’d fit in any of these tunnels either,” replied Scrapper.

“He’s a slippery one. You’d be surprised where I’ve found that lizard slinking around. Contrary to popular belief, he’s not too big for a lot of places,” said Samus.

“All right, we’ll keep an eye out,” said Scrapper.

“How many of them are there? We’re probably going to need to take these guys out,” said Samus.

“Moderate amount. Most of them aren’t on guard,” said Scrapper.

Samus nodded. “Let’s move then.”

The Smashers quickly moved down the tunnel in front of them. It led to a massive, cavernous room, with a few catwalks dangling above. A number of Space Pirates were milling throughout the bottom, moving what looked to be the last pieces of equipment out of the base. Against the wall of the bottom of the cavern, there was a giant swirling portal that the Space Pirates were carrying the equipment through. A large circular stairwell wrapped around the side of the cavern, starting off to the Smasher’s right and ending on the floor of the cavern below. It was a steep drop from the top, several dozen meters down at the minimum. On the catwalks, a few guards patrolled disinterestedly, having had nothing to do for hours but watch their comrades move equipment.

Samus surveyed the operation below her, trying to stay out of sight. “Do you recognize any of that equipment?”

After a minute, Scrapper said, “Looks like mostly cloaking equipment. High end stuff too. Do Space Pirates usually have this kinda stuff?”

“Their leader is Ridley. They have no concept of subtlety. It’s probably a miracle that they even know how any of it works,” said Samus flatly.

“Hey! Scrapper, do you see that?” whispered Packrat suddenly. “Are you seeing what I’m seeing?”

“If you’re seeing a mininuke generator, then yeah.”

“A mininuke generator!?” said Cordelia in surprise. “How’d they get one of those?”

“Dunno. Nobody I know would let Space Pirates anywhere one. And that includes good guys and bad guys,” said Packrat.

“Mininuke generator?” asked Samus.

“Human tech. Very expensive but very powerful nuclear fission-powered portable generator, so whatever you do, don’t shoot the thing. I don’t know how they got it, though. Space Pirate raids stopped altogether after what happened at New Toronto, and there’s still a lot of bad blood on our end. They shouldn’t have been able to get one,” said Packrat.

Samus nodded. The raid of New Toronto, the capital of Horizon had been one of the most ambitious raids that the Space Pirates had attempted. It had also been one of their most crushing defeats. Packrat, Cordelia, Scrapper and Skylark had all been present during the raid and had mauled Ridley so badly that the Space Pirate leader had barely escaped with his life and had ordered an immediate retreat. She was the only person who’d ever managed to cause Ridley to do that before. She was so very proud of them. It was also one of the reasons she liked working with them so much.

“Do we jump them?” asked Cordelia. “This area’s better for me.”

Packrat shook his head. “Not with the mininuke generator. That thing has to be dealt with carefully! We’re under a neighborhood – we can’t risk a stray shot hitting it here!”

“Yeah……even Sonic couldn’t outrun the blast from this close,” said Captain Falcon uneasily. “Do you have any other ideas?”

“Blast ‘em from orbit!” joked Scrapper cheerily.

Cordelia sighed. “Do we have any _actual_ other ideas?”

“Can we try to get them to surrender?” asked Skylark.

Samus snorted. “No. That would be like waiting for a purple unicorn to jump out of a portal from the sky.”

Space Pirates were infamous for never surrendering. Ever. Which oftentimes made dealing with them a very dangerous prospect.

“So, we have to fight. But how do we get next to the reactor in time?” asked Packrat. “It’s in the middle of all of that cloaking equipment. Even Cordie will have a hard time getting in close fast enough. And that’s with everybody shooting.”

Suddenly a thought came to Timberwolf Squad, and three heads turned towards Scrapper.

“Ugh, fine. I’ll sneak in and drop a bubble shield.”

Samus rolled her eyes. “You take that whole long distance shooting thing way too seriously.”

“Hey, it’s the safe thing to do!” muttered Scrapper. He hefted his shield off of his arm and onto his back, where it attached to a magnetic plate on the back of his trench coat. Scrapper then deployed a small device with a tripod bottom from his IDD. “All right. Open fire _after_ the dome shield activates. Not before. Got it?”

Samus nodded. “Absolutely. Just make sure the shield doesn’t go down.”

Scrapper nodded back. Moments later, he vanished into thin air. Due to the very expensive and highly regulated nature of cloaking device ownership, Scrapper was the only one of his teammates to own one, but as Samus had seen time and time again, Scrapper made the investment worth every credit.

She glanced to the side. Skylark, Cordelia and Packrat were all readying their weapons.

Packrat took a crouching position, LMG at the ready. “We’ve done this before and we’re going to do it again! This is gonna be easy!”

Samus grimaced under her visor. She hoped Packrat’s optimism wasn’t unfounded. Ridley was known for appearing exactly when he was least wanted.

After a few minutes of waiting, a translucent blue dome suddenly appeared and covered the mininuke generator. The Space Pirates jumped in surprise, as Scrapper suddenly faded back into sight in front of them, inside the dome. They raised their weapons, but Packrat, Cordelia, and Skylark immediately opened fire on them before they could react. A hail of laser fire struck the ground, taking down the guards on the catwalks before turning downwards towards the rest of the Space Pirates. Falcon, having drawn his blaster, took some more precise shots at some of the Space Pirates who were still out in the open. Samus joined them, unleashing a storm of Plasma Beams from her arm cannon, forcing any Space Pirates in her sights to dive for cover.

Packrat jumped back as a missile struck the ceiling above him. “Get down there! We’ll cover you!” he shouted as he resumed his original spot. Cordelia and Captain Falcon bolted down the stairwell. As they ran, Cordelia slung her assault rifle on her back pulled out one of her machine pistols. The two began shooting as they descended. Falcon charged ahead, gaining a lot of speed. He jumped over the railing and plummeted towards a group of Space Pirates on the ground, flames already gathering around his foot.

“Falcon Kick!”

He hit the ground with an impressive explosion, catching some of the nearby equipment in its range. He charged off in one direction, dodging the returning laser fire, as Cordelia flipped over the edge and swung herself onto the stairwell one layer below the one she was on. She landed right in front of a group of Space Pirates. She knocked one down with a well placed kick and decked another one in the face with a pistol whip. She quickly drew her second machine pistol and finished off the group with several bursts.

Seeing another group of Space Pirates coming up the stairs, she holstered her machine pistols and pulled her assault rifle back out. Ducking under a barrage of wild shots, she began unloading her Assault Rifle at the Space Pirates on the stairs. A few of the returning shots struck her, but it only caused her energy shields to flare.

Samus turned to Packrat and Skylark and nodded. The three hustled their way down the stairs, laying down heavy suppressive fire on the Space Pirates on the ground as they went.

“Cover me! Out of ammo!” shouted Skylark suddenly. Packrat stood in front of her, still shooting his LMG. Samus shook her head as she took up her position next to him. She scanned the area in front of her and quickly located a group of Space Pirates taking cover behind some crates. Samus quickly opened suppressive fire, as Packrat kept shooting at a different group lower down the stairs, preventing them from moving forward.

“You good on ammo, Packrat?” yelled Samus above the noise of all of the chaos around them.

“Still good! I’ve got big magazines!” yelled Packrat back.

Samus nodded. Packrat loved talking about the oversized, extended magazines that he used. No wonder he never needed to stop and reload when his weapons had 2500 round clip sizes. Such were laser rifles after all. The only people who needed to reload less than him were Megaman and herself. Arm cannon technology was pretty useful in that regard. Well, modern technology. Human arm cannons were still catching up.

“Ready to go!” shouted Skylark from behind them. She took point as they moved down the stairs.

Lower down, Cordelia vaulted through a portal and landed a flying kick to the back of a surprised Space Pirate before taking out the other two with quick bursts of her machine pistols. With no warning, an firey orange explosion threw another unfortunate Space Pirate into the air, before he plummeted back to the ground. Looked like Falcon was keeping himself busy.

By the time they reached the lower levels of the stairwell, Cordelia had cleared the stairs and had already reached the ground floor, taking cover behind some large boxes as her shields recharged. Most of the remaining Space Pirates had already retreated through a tunnel in the side of the cavern. As they reached the bottom, Samus saw that while there were three doors, two of them had been filled in with rubble, leaving only the one tunnel open. She saw that a few Space Pirates had taken cover behind a very large device that looked like it was made for drilling. Samus rushed towards them, while Skylark, Packrat, Cordelia and Falcon applied heavy pressure on the remaining Space Pirates that were still trying to hold the remaining open hallway.

The Space Pirates behind the driller opened fire on her as she approached.

“IT’S THE HUNTRESS!” one shouted. “KILL HER!”

“We can’t take her!” shouted another. “How many times has she beaten the boss?”

“Coward!” hissed the first one, as the others turned and fled down a small escape hatch cut into the side of the room.

Samus casually shot the rifle out of the Space Pirate’s hand and walked up to him. “You should have run,” she said menacingly.

The Space Pirate jumped and took a wild swing with a Space Pirate style knife. The knife didn’t even scratch Samus’s armor. Samus casually knocked it from his hand, the knife clattering to the floor. The Space Pirate looked at his weapon, panicked.

“Go. I’m not interested in taking prisoners.”

“What?!” asked the Space Pirate confused.

“Do I really need to tell you twice?”

The Space Pirate turned on his heel and fled down the hatch. A few moments later, Samus could hear the sound of several charges of instant concrete expanding. Samus sighed. Though the Space Pirates at large believed in their conquest based society, not all were enthusiastic about being pirates. Some small settlements of peaceful Space Pirates had popped up and had been granted protection and membership among the Galactic Assembly. They had named themselves “The Liberated”, seeing themselves as liberated from the cycle of pillaging and death that their brethren were still trapped in. The Chozo hoped that by letting as many Space Pirates as possible live, some might rethink their lives and possibly join the Liberated.

Samus shrugged. If they didn’t escape, they’d definitely be captured when the police got down there. Couldn’t say that she didn’t give them a chance. The Chozo elders would take that explanation for how she promoted peace, right? No need to get chewed out again……

She turned to see the other Smashers congregating in the middle of the room, as Scrapper deactivated the dome shield.

“All right, what do we have here?” she asked.

Packrat crouched down next to the equipment. “This is a stealth radio transmitter here…….this is an electric field suppressor……oh! Thermal defuser! Nice one too…… Somebody with a lot of money is behind these guys. Unless the Pirates are that rich themselves?”

“Definitely not,” said Samus definitively. “This equipment was either stolen or given to them.”

“Maybe both?” said Captain Falcon. “Criminals ready to turn an easy buck?”

“Maybe,” said Samus. “Do you see anything else other than equipment they used to hide their signature here?”

“Not off the bat,” said Packrat. “Lemme take a look around.”

Falcon joined him and the others as they inspected the other equipment.

“This gear like it’s pretty new. Reminds me of some of Black Shadow’s operations. This equipment makes me think this whole operation was well planned out.”

“Then it wasn’t Ridley in charge,” said Samus. “He’s a fly by the seat of his pants kind of pillager.”

“Is Ridley taking orders from somebody above him then?” asked Falcon. “Does Ridley even respect anybody enough to listen to them?”

“Not often,” said Samus wryly. “But on occasion he’ll take a few pointers from others.”

“What kind of person would Ridley listen to?” asked Packrat.

“Somebody with the ability to help him raid things he usually couldn’t,” said Samus.

“Which gives us something on the person he’s working with,” said Falcon. “Somebody with cunning.”

“I didn’t think of that. You getting anything else from all this?” asked Packrat.

Falcon rubbed his chin. “Probably has to be strong enough to match Ridley, I’m thinking. Could it be possible that Ridley has a new advisor, Samus?”

Samus shook her head. “Ridley is the brains of Space Pirate operations. I’ve seen them plan, its always Ridley in charge, and if you disagree with the guy in charge, you die. Whoever they’re working with is smart, but powerful enough for Ridley to respect him.”

“I’d say Black Shadow, but he’s in jail and I spent too much time dismantling his criminal empire for him to have any resources to work with,” offered Falcon. “Maybe he actually is working with Ganondorf after all?”

“How powerful is Ganondorf when he’s not being boosted by a Subspace Core?” asked Samus.

“Not sure, we’ll have to ask Link. If I had to hazard a guess, I’d say he’s probably powerful enough to get Ridley to listen,” said Falcon.

“Oh hey, look at this!” said Scrapper from a different part of the pile. He held up a device.

“This is Chozo tech, right? This looks like a bio scanner?”

“Let me look at this,” said Samus.

She quickly walked over and inspected the device.

“Yeah, that’s Chozo tech all right. Here, cover me, I’m going to see if I can get in with my skeleton key, but I’m going to need to deactivate my suit.”

Samus pressed a button on the back of her arm cannon. Suddenly, her suit began to glow as it dematerialized around her. Packrat, Cordelia and Skylark all took defensive positions around her as Scrapper and Falcon crowded in curiously. Samus turned on the device before pulling a card out of her pocket and swiping it in front of the scanner area.

Immediately the screen changed to an admin screen. 

“And there we are….let’s see……” mumbled Samus.

There was a moment of silence as Samus fiddled through the various tabs.

“As I figured. They definitely stole this….not much out of the….oh! Look at this!”

“Look at what?” asked Scrapper.

“This is the species list that this biosensor has been set to scan for. There are two that I would expect, those being Space Pirates and Chozo. However, this scanner has also been set to scan for Star Warriors, Hands, Pokeanians, Gaians, Hylians/Gerudo/Kokiri, Beorc, Icari, Mobians, Sindarians, Quenyalans, and Mushroomians.”

“Gaians…from Gaia…that’s Cloud’s, Little Mac’s and Ryu’s home world, right?” asked Skylark.

“And the Icari… that’s Pit and Palutena’s people,” said Cordelia.

Falcon nodded. “That’s right. The Sindarian one is probably for my clone, since I’m the only Smasher from Sindar. With the Icari, Hylian and Chozo ones corresponding to the other clones. I wonder if the Quenyalan is Dr. Wily. He’s the only one on Quenyala that’s powerful enough to be part of this alliance. We’ll have to tell Megaman and the others after we’re done here.”

“Isn’t Ganondorf Gerudo?” asked Scrapper. “So, he’d be a second person for that Hylians/Gerudo/Kokiri category.”

“You’re right, I didn’t think of that,” said Falcon. “I guess that opens the door up for more there being more than one person for each bioscanner type.”

Packrat sighed. “It seems like the Space Pirates have a lot of friends working with them this time.”

“I think you’re being too generous. The Space Pirates have backstabbed a lot of people in their time. A LOT,” said Samus. “The best they’ll have is an uneasy alliance with whoever they’re currently working with.”

“Maybe they’ll all backstab each other, and we won’t have to do too much work!” said Packrat.

Samus barked a laugh. “Yeah, sorry, I’m not that lucky. That being said, their infighting could give us an opportunity to strike or make some of the enemy factions leave the group. I’ve had that happen before when trying to take down the Space Pirates. I’ll take it if we can get a repeat performance, though.”

“I’ll second that!” said Packrat.

There was a pause as Samus reactivated her armor.

“Say, shouldn’t you pick up the Mininuke Generator before somebody accidently shoots it, Packrat?” asked Skylark.

“Right,” said Packrat, rubbing the back of his head. “I’ll get that right now.”

“Make sure you don’t lose it all, again!” said Skylark. “We’re _still_ missing those eight ship engines that you misplaced from that one trip to Hossin!”

“Hey, hey! I’m making a new folder for this!” Packrat complained. “Seriously, I’m never gonna hear the end of that one.”

“No, you’re not,” said Scrapper. “Those were worth 20 grand each!”

“I’ll find them eventually! Just need to take some time to reorganize my IDD storage!” grumbled Packrat as he fiddled with the screen and control panel on his arm for a minute.

He then pointed his IDD glove at the equipment. The Mininuke Generator appeared to be unchanged as blue lasers scanned it from the palm of Packrat’s IDD. Samus didn’t know much about Packrat’s IDD, but she did know that it was a more advanced model than the ones his teammates had, let alone the standard ones that most of the Smashers used. This let him pick up much larger objects and store them on a much larger hard drive. After some time, the Mininuke Generator suddenly turned into a holographic outline, before vanishing into thin air a few minutes later.

“There,” said Packrat, picking up his LMG. “The cops can pick up the rest of it, none of the rest of this stuff is gonna explode if shot. Ready to go.”

“All right, let’s investigate…….” Samus paused mid-sentence, looking up at the wall. The portal had vanished. She activated the R-47 scanner in her visor. The R-47 hotspot that had been in the area was totally gone. However, something caught her vision on the screen.

“Hey…..I see another R-47 signal, but it’s not quite so strong……let’s go take a look.”

Captain Falcon shrugged. “Sure, why not? We’re already here.”

Samus pointed down the one remaining tunnel.

“That way.”

The Smashers made their way down the hallway, carefully, checking all of the rooms. The rooms down here appeared to be mostly storage rooms. While almost everything had been taken out, as with the other rooms, there were a few things remaining. Samus recognized some as racks for Space Pirate weapons. Rifles, machine guns, rocket launchers, etc. She was all too familiar with them. However, as they went further down, they noticed one room that had been noticeably better kept. She noticed a few translucent spots on the floor and scanned it with her visor.

“Sword polish,” she said after a moment.

“Smells like it,” said Captain Falcon. “Didn’t Roy say that some of those guys he fought yesterday used swords?”

“Yeah, the Pit clone, the Link clone, and the one they called ‘Lucina’,” said Falcon. 

“But not my clone,” said Samus, as she continued to inspect the area. She was wondering how they’d even managed to get her DNA, let alone her suit specs. She was almost always in her suit on missions. Not even her hair should have gotten out. And then there was the suit her clone used. It was possible that they’d gotten their hands on a Chozo style powersuit from an abandoned Chozo settlement somewhere, though. Most likely a lucky find. It needed to be destroyed. She could not let her people’s greatest weapon stay in the hands of those who would cause chaos and destruction.

“Hey, Samus, you still have that Phazite scan function?” asked Scrapper.

“Yeah, why?”

“I’m picking up Phazite radiation. I think somebody was using it here. Haven’t used my Phazite scanner in a while, so I wanna make sure it’s not a bad reading.”

Samus’ eyes narrowed as she switched her scanner to detect Phazite. Sure enough, there were traces of Phazite energy. So, the whole Phazon fiasco was coming back to bite her. _Again_. Now in its new and “safe” form of Phazite. After the corruptive qualities of Phazon had been made known to the Galactic Assembly, scientists were quickly commissioned to find a solution. While she had been off fighting Phazon meteors and corrupted friends and foes alike, they had come up with a compound that, when exposed to Phazon, reacted the corruptive material and created a new compound, dubbed Phazite. While significantly less corruptive and aggressive as raw Phazon, much debate still raged about how safe Phazite was. Samus already knew what her answer was. Thankfully, because Phazite was made from Phazon, there was a galactic-wide ban on the stuff. And despite this, it was now back, again. Most likely, judging by Roy’s report, it was probably her clone using it too. Sometimes Samus felt like she could never escape her past.

It wasn’t just being from a “dead” species. Who weren’t so dead after all, when a bunch of other humans had popped out of nowhere just over 5 years ago. At least that one had been a good surprise. No, it was the bad things that kept coming back that she hated so much. Like how Ridley had murdered her parents and everybody that she’d ever known at age 5, and now was her nemesis. It felt like she had to fight him at least once every single, stupid year. Well, she did fight Ridley on a near annual basis, the Space Pirate captain hold a bitter grudge against her. And to be perfectly frank, the feeling was mutual.

Sometimes, it felt like it was like it was her fault that the Space Pirates existed or something, because it was always her job to clean up the messes they caused. But it wasn’t just the Space Pirates. The Metroids had this quality too. They seemed to be the favored bio weapon of every single stupid terrorist organization and upstart dictator. Somehow, every last one thought that the species that found a way to escape even the Chozo’s best containment protocols _wouldn’t_ escape containment again, just for them! And then, the famed Metroid Hunter had to come and stop them, _again_. Phazon and Phazite just needed to stay gone, just like those stupid X Parasites. At least the X Parasites hadn’t come back for some time, and some experts were even hypothesizing that she had actually hunted them to extinction. Samus doubted that she was that lucky.

Of course, she had known that if anybody was using Phazite, it was likely that it was her clone, but seeing the readings in person through her own visor was….different. More real somehow. And there was going to be a reckoning for whatever stupid moron who had decided pumping her clone full of Phazite was a good idea. A very loud, explosive reckoning.

She knew that this was exactly the time where Grey Voice would tell her to stop and breathe. And he was absolutely right. She just hated when he was right like that. She could practically hear him saying, “Samus! Samus!”

“Samus? Hey Samus?” said Skylark, shaking Samus’ shoulder.

Samus jumped, snapping back into reality.

“You ok?” asked Skylark.

“Yeah, just got lost in my thoughts. Sorry about that.”

“Ok. Just wanted to make sure you’re all right.”

Samus sighed. “Phazite. Can’t ever seem to outrun this crap.”

Skylark nodded. “I’m sorry. We’ll destroy all of it, I promise.”

Samus blinked and refocused her mind. Now was not the time to lose sight of the objective at hand.

“Thanks. And sorry to worry you.”

“No need to be sorry,” said Skylark. “You’ve had a lot of especially bad experiences with Phazon. Its no wonder you dislike it so much.”

Samus just sighed. The mission wasn’t over yet. She still needed to be in the game. Why had she let this get to her? She was better than this. She had to be better than this.

They exited the room and continued moving down the hallway. After turning a few corners, the Smashers found themselves looking at one final door. Samus peeked carefully through it, making sure there were no hostiles or traps near it. Through the door was a long corridor. It was dimly lit and she could just barely see the end of it. It had a downward slope to it, and it appeared less well used then the rest of the base. She turned on her R-47 scanner again. The signature was still in the same direction.

“All right. Signal’s coming from straight ahead of us. Let’s go find out what they got down there.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Come back next time for the conclusion of Act 4…..


	12. Chapter 12

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> All right, the next chapter is up! Just wanted to do a quick shout out to all of the people who have been reading this fic – you’re all awesome! Now, let’s finish off Act 4!

**Scrapper**

Threat Level: 4

Scrapper is an anomaly amongst his human peers, let alone the rest of the Smashers. This is due to the lack of information and rampant misinformation that has surrounded this Smasher. Even my efforts have uncovered only four verifiable things about Scrapper. These include the following: he is affiliated with the Sky Rangers, he is a specialist in long and extreme range combat, the third is that he is a pilot, and fourth is that he is a master of illusions. Anything beyond this is unverified.

First, let’s talk about the Sky Rangers. The Ranger Corps of Borealis is a group of lawmen who defend the vast, sparsely populated, and largely lawless continent of Borealis. While short on formal training and manpower, they make up for it with experience and heavy armament. The Rangers have participated in a number of conflicts, including the Vanu Incursion, the Fourth Mutagen War, the first and second Cult Wars, and of course, the Horizon Civil War. The Sky Rangers serve as the aerial arm of the Rangers as well as their elite branch. Sky Rangers are no ordinary pilots, as they fly in extreme weather conditions of Borealis, including violent storms with winds exceeding 80 kpm. Sky Rangers serve in a variety of roles, including scouting, transportation, search and rescue, and combat. In battle, the Sky Rangers have always distinguished themselves with their ace piloting skills, exceptional marksmanship, daring assaults, and legendary last stands. As one can imagine, there are a number of unverifiable legends surrounding the Sky Rangers and their feats, many bordering on incredulity.

Now, we will talk about what is known about Scrapper. Scrapper is confirmed to be at least a proficient sniper. Snipers are confirmed to have an effective range of at least 500 meters, though stories tell of master snipers who have hit targets at up to 2.5 kilometers. Exercise extreme caution around open areas if Scrapper is known to be present but has not been seen – snipers are known for hiding themselves while lining up a shot. Scrapper is also a pilot, flying a Sky Ranger “Steel Eagle” dropship. While much slower than the Arwings and Warpstars piloted by other Smashers, it is heavily armored and shielded, can carry passengers in the back, and is heavily armed. Lastly, Scrapper is a master of illusions. It is unknown how he creates and manipulates illusions, but they are often observed being used as distractions. It’s likely they have more uses then just distraction, as illusions are useful things. This is likely the source of the sheer amount of misinformation about Scrapper. If all the rumors were to be believed, then Scrapper would be able to phase through matter, see through walls, perform unassisted levitation, shoot explosive barrages from the sky, and juggle balls of electricity.

Now for counters. To be honest, it’s difficult to recommend anything concrete. While Scrapper has been rumored to wield a number of conventional and unconventional weapons, it is generally agreed upon that he generally avoids close quarters combat. As he generally prefers to fight from a distance, I recommend rushing Scrapper down as quickly as possible should he be spotted. Do not let Scrapper escape and destroy any scoped weapon in his possession to limit his effective range. Just approach with as much caution as can be had when rushing down an opponent– there’s no telling exactly what he has at his disposal.

**Skylark**

Threat Level: 2

Skylark is the weakest of all of the humans and possesses few special combative skills and weaponries that her teammates don’t have. Despite this, she has proven herself in battle and should not be underestimated if only for this reason. She does stand out as the chief medical specialist of the Smashers and is a highly skilled medical professional. If she is encountered, consider her a priority target for this designation alone.

Skylark is one of the Paladins, an organization of politically unaffiliated combat medics who do their best to bring medical care to dangerous and distant places. They were founded on Auraxis before the planet’s fall as a separate faction from the New Conglomerate, Terran Republic, and Vanu Sovereignty, assisting abandoned and wounded soldiers from all factions, fighting only to defend themselves. After the New Conglomerate and Terran Republic reunited and drove the Vanu Sovereignty off planet, the Paladins were quick to join the coalition, and they proved instrumental in the reunification of Auraxis. Unfortunately for them, shortly thereafter, they made contact with a force comprised of a number of previously unknown sentient life forms, a group known as the Banished. While information on this organization is very scarce, a group of dissidents from the group, comprised of mostly Sangheili (sometimes referred to as Elites) defected and joined the Humans, helping them to repel a full-scale invasion of Auraxis. After the dust settled, they realized that their forces were too few to hold the planet against a second full scale invasion, and Auraxis was evacuated shortly thereafter. Relocating to Horizon, the Paladins quicky scattered across Horizon, operating in many communities and serving alongside the forces defending them. During the Horizon Civil War, many Paladins served alongside the Sentry Guardians and Ranger Corps, while others joined the Alliance Army. While there are no statistics to pull, it is likely that the Paladin’s contributions to the Alliance significantly reduced Alliance casualties. After the war, they dispersed across the planet as they had before. Today, they are still active, though mostly in rural continents. The Horizon Combat Medic Corps is also a direct offshoot of the Paladin’s organization.

Skylark herself is a combat medic just as capable of killing you as saving you, however she lacks the power that her teammates and many other Smashers have. What she does have at her disposal, however, is a versatile kit that is useful in nearly any situation. Skylark generally favors conventional human weaponry, and is mostly seen with a standard assault rifle, though she has been spotted using rocket launchers, LMGs, and PDWs. She has also adopted some Sangheili weaponry, including Plasma Rifles and Carbines. As a defensive measure, Skylark is equipped with a number of hard light shield projection devices that can project hardlight domes and walls. Finally, Skylark appears to wield a support pistol that can fire stasis beams and repulson beams. It’s unknown if it has any additional firing modes.

To defeat Skylark, just follow the general suggestions that I put forth for all of Timberwolf Squad. Of all of her teammates, she’s the one that lines up the most strongly with the average human soldier. She may be particularly vulnerable when attempting to assist a wounded ally, so keep an eye out if you know somebody has been injured. Other than that, Skylark is a fighter that should not be difficult to defeat.

* * *

**Act 4: Samus**

**Chapter 3: Lockout**

Samus walked forward down the long corridor, arm cannon at the ready, aiming around Scrapper, who was leading the party, ballistic shield at the ready. The others followed behind her, ready to attack at a moment’s notice. They had been going down the long hallway for some time. Her visor told her that they had been on a long, slow descent downwards. Samus wondered why they needed a tunnel this long, and she wondered how long it went for.

Scrapper suddenly held up his hand.

“Down the hall. I see hostiles. Not sure if they see us yet.”

There was the sound of shouting from down the hall, and a few stray shots hit the sides of the hallway. The Smashers instantly snapped into fighting stances. Scrapper pressed a button on the back of his shield, activating a hardlight shield over the ballistic shield. It covered the entirety of the ballistic shield, but also extended below the shield to cover his legs and feet. Hardlight panels also materialized out of the side and top to better protect his head and sides.

“They see us! Behind the shield! Move it people!” shouted Scrapper, as he began to walk quickly towards the Space Pirates at the end of the hallway.

Samus attempted a few shots from around Scrapper, but due to the narrow corridor, it was difficult to aim around him and her shots missed.

“Just wait till we get closer!” Skylark said, jogging to keep up as Scrapper increased his walking speed, noticing that the enemy were starting to retreat.

Scrapper yelled, “They’re going somewhere! We’ll hopefully have more space to fight!”

Packrat, Cordelia and Skylark readied their rifles and Falcon drew his blaster pistol. They quickly made their way down the hallway. It was hard to see the room at the end, but evidently, it was fairly wide, and only one floor in height. It was hard to see much from this point, but it looked like the back of the room there was a large segment of totally flat wall. This segment of the wall had a portal on it. Somewhere around a dozen Space Pirates were moving pieces of equipment through the portal. Suddenly, two different figures stepped into view.

Samus’s breath caught in her throat when she saw one of them. The armor looked the same…ish as hers. The overall shape was right, though it was painted dark grey with bright glowing blue lines of energy running throughout it. It floated a few inches off the ground as it readied its arm cannon to fire. It was her clone. Next to her stood somebody who looked suspiciously like Pit, but with a black toga and black wings. He had an arrow of hardlight drawn in his bow, ready to fire. Samus realized why the others had taken to calling the clones Dark Pit and Dark Samus.

As they did, Dark Pit yelled something to the Space Pirates in the room. A few could be seen running in the background.

Dark Samus fired a barrage of laser shots as Dark Pit fired arrows. Scrapper grunted as the shots began to hit his shield, slowing down a little to be able to continue holding the shield steady. Samus began shooting around Scrapper with Skylark. From her vantage point, Samus frowned as she observed what she could see of the room ahead of her. Ahead of her was the equipment that they had been moving earlier. It lay around the room in large piles. However, there was no time to think. A number of Space Pirate guards joined Dark Samus and Dark Pit, shooting at the Smashers as Scrapper and his shield made their way forward. The projectiles dissipated with a hiss as they hit the hardlight covering Scrapper’s shield and made small explosions when hitting the dirt sides of the tunnel. At this point, Scrapper had slowed down significantly to be able to keep his shield up. Suddenly, the Space Pirates and the clones stopped shooting and dashed off to the left.

“Move it! They’re running away!” shouted Scrapper as he picked up the pace again.

In short order, they arrived at the entrance of the tunnel. Scrapper pushed into the room slightly, still mostly covering the doorway.

Several Space Pirates rushed out of one of the side rooms, and bolted straight for the portal, diving in as if being chased be a giant monster. As they did, a spray of fire came from the room. The smashers watched in surprise as Ridley crawled out of the room. But something was wrong – since when did his skin have a metallic sheen?

Out of the corner of her eye, Samus saw Dark Pit and Dark Samus disappear into the portal. Nothing she could do about it now, she had to face the threat in front of her.

“Wait……isn’t he kinda small?” asked Cordelia in confusion.

“Yeah….” said Samus. She quickly scanned the creature as it stomped towards him, but she was fairly sure she knew what it was. The scan confirmed her suspicions.

“It’s a machine. It’s a Meta Ridley. Looks like a smaller version of the last model I fought.”

“A robot meant to mimic Ridley…… all right. Let’s get him,” said Packrat.

“Cover me!” shouted Cordelia, from the back of the party.

Samus caught the glow of light next to her. She glanced back to see Cordelia look down at her glove and press a button. She was surrounded by a blue hologram, before a powersuit began to materialize around her. Packrat, Scrapper and Skylark immediately began shooting at the Mecha Ridley. Samus quickly began shooting too, trying to draw its attention. It took almost a minute for the suit to fully deploy from the IDD due to the suit’s complex and technical nature, and Samus didn’t want to leave Cordelia defenseless while she deployed the suit.

The Mecha Ridley roared and began breathing fire. Packrat and Skylark jumped back, out of the flame’s reach, while Scrapper hunkered in behind his shield. Samus began shooting, while Falcon charged fire around his fist.

“Flying Falcon!” he shouted. He threw a punch with his fist coated in a blazing Falcon, its wings spread. As he threw the punch, the falcon took off from his fist and shot out straight at the Mecha Ridley. It impacted the robot with a firey explosion, knocking its fire breath aside.

Mecha Ridley screeched and fired a laser beam out of its mouth at each of the Smashers. Falcon flipped out of the way with ease, while Samus rolled into the Morph Ball, casually avoiding the beam. Packrat and Skylark dove aside quickly, avoiding the laser, but the beam itself struck Scrapper’s shield straight on, sending him flying. He hit the ground with a heavy thud.

Samus, Packrat, Skylark and Falcon quickly raised their firearms and began blasting the Mecha Ridley, who shielded itself with its metal wings. Scrapper scrambled to his feet.

“Gah! That’s got a lot of force behind it!”

“Yeah! Don’t get hit by it!” said Samus.

“Gonna have to tag out to put away the shield!” said Scrapper. “Gonna take too long to pull something else!”

“Do it!” said Cordelia from behind them. “I’m back in!”

“Right, I’m out!” said Scrapper, as Cordelia bounded up to take his place. She was now encased in a heavy set of power armor, equipped with an arm cannon and a jetpack. It had a dull purple and light grey color scheme, and her visor glowed a defiant shade of silver.

It was an interesting set of power armor that all of the members of Timberwolf squad had at their disposal. According to Scrapper, it was based off of a hazardous environment research suit and modified for combat. Each member of the team had a different color scheme. Packrat’s suit had a red and grey color scheme, Skylark’s was a light blue and grey, and Scrapper’s was dark blue and grey. Each one was slightly different, having different functions to match the needs and preferences of its wearer. And of course, all were armed with an arm cannon. The outer shell was based off of Chozo designs discovered on Horizion, but the guts of the cannon were all human tech, swappable with an internally mounted IDD. This meant that the weaponry of the arm cannon was all human in origin, and not Chozo, as the researchers weren’t able to decipher the Chozo language before they had made first contact with said Chozo and been subsequently asked to stop research. Or so Scrapper had told her. Apparently, he was one of the people who had done a lot of work on the protypes of the arm cannon. Not a huge shocker, considering that the design philosophy of the weapon was perfectly in line with that of the infamous inventor.

Samus was just fine with her suit though, as she blasted the Ridley knockoff with a barrage of missiles. Next to her, Cordelia unleashed a torrent of laser fire from her arm cannon, while Packrat and Skylark continued to shoot with their respective rifles. Captain Falcon drew his blaster and joined in the barrage. The robot took several shots but began blocking the shots with its metallic wings.

Samus grunted with frustration and stopped shooting, as did the other Smashers. No need to expend ammo wastefully when it was clearly not doing anything useful. The robotic monstrosity screeched at them, but before it could do anything, a grenade sailed through the air and rolled underneath Mecha Ridley’s feet, before releasing a translucent blue discharge. Mecha Ridley froze in place for a second as another grenade sailed through the air and exploded in his face.

“Got him with the EMP! Light him up!” shouted Scrapper from behind. 

Samus glanced back for a moment to see Scrapper crouched behind them, DMR at the ready. He quickly switched his hand off of the underbarrel grenade launcher mounted on the side of the barrel and placed it on the underbarrel shotgun mounted below the barrel and began shooting again. She whipped her attention back to the Mecha Ridley and fired off a few missiles while the others resumed their fire. Another grenade sailed through the air from behind them, this one impacting Mecha Ridley in the face before exploding.

The robot suddenly powered back on and screeched again. A few ports opened up on Mecha Ridley’s back and fired a barrage of homing missiles out of its back. Samus tried to shoot as many rockets out of the air that she could, but they were moving too quickly, and she was forced to dodge. She heard a series of explosions. The smoke cleared to reveal Cordelia, encased in a glowing hardlight shell, evidently having tanked the explosions with her suit.

“Help me out here! Armor Lock won’t last forever!” she shouted.

Skylark jumped out from where she’d been taking cover and hurled a grenade at the Mecha Ridley before opening fire again upon the Mecha Ridley. Samus quickly joined her, as the others rejoined the fight, allowing Cordelia to disengage the Armor Lock and back off to a safe distance. Mecha Ridley suddenly opened its mouth an unleashed a geyser of flame at Samus. She ducked out of the line of attack and rolled away as Mecha Ridley continued to breathe fire at her. The robot attacked her as she rolled in a circle and the other Smashers fired onto its back.

“Falcon Punch!”

Mecha Ridley staggered forward from the force of the powerful punch, allowing Samus to pull herself out of her morph ball. 

As she picked herself up, she heard the Packrat yell, “Cover me! Deploying a sentry!”

Took him long enough. The heavy guns, precision accuracy and excellent tracking ability of the gun would help a lot, provided Packrat had enough time to deploy it. Skylark quickly pulled a strange looking pistol out of her off hand holster and pointed it at the Mecha Ridley. She fired a whitish beam that engulfed Mecha Ridley and seemed to slow him down.

“Stasis Beam up!” shouted Skylark.

Mecha Ridley began to turn again, but slowly. Samus fired her grapple beam, catching the Mecha Ridley. It slowly turned to look at her, but Captain Falcon wasn’t having it.

“Falcon KICK!”

“Behind you with the Plasma Lance!” called out Cordelia. Falcon leapt aside as she quickly dashed in behind him and threw a punch at the back of the Mecha Ridley. As she did, a spike of plasma the length of a sword shot forth and ripped into the robot’s back, blasting through the steel plating and revealing the electronics underneath.

Mecha Ridley was totally unable to attack, screeching furiously as Packrat’s sentry gun finished deploying. The second it was ready, the gun activated and quickly locked on to Mecha Ridley.

Immediately, it began firing lasers and missiles directly at the robot. Captain Falcon and Cordelia jumped out of the way as Packrat and Skylark resumed their fire, supplementing the sentry gun. The robot screeched as its armor began to cave under the relentless torrent of fire. It suddenly began firing missiles again, homing in on all of the smashers. However, a few of the rockets went straight for the sentry gun. The gun managed to take a few hits before exploding into scrap as the Smashers dodged or shot down the other missiles.

“Sentry down!” growled Packrat.

Suddenly, the Mecha Ridley opened its mouth and fired a laser at Cordelia with no warning, sending her flying.

“Hey! Not cool!” yelled Packrat, quickly returning fire as best he could, but the Mecha Ridley fired a laser out of his mouth, forcing him to dive for cover.

“Hey!” Shouted a new voice.

Samus glanced to the side and did a double take as Mario, Link, Kirby and Shulk suddenly rushed out of the hallway behind them.

“Charge!” shouted Mario as the four of the rushed at the Mecha Ridley.

“Hey! Wait….” started Samus, before the four got blasted by another laser from Mecha Ridley.

The air was suddenly filled with the sound of laughter as Mario, Link, Kirby and Shulk appeared through the smoke, completely unharmed, laughing and pointing at Mecha Ridley.

“Sorry about the lack of warning on the holograms,” said Scrapper. “Wanted to move fast. Calling Firefly back to me.”

Samus shook her head as Mecha Ridley continued to slash and attack the holograms when they suddenly disappeared. The mech looked around confused, and Samus took the opportunity to blast it with a fully charged Charge Shot.

“Cordie, you all right?” asked Skylark as she backed away while still shooting.

“Fine but shaken. Shield ate most of that,” said Cordelia as she slowly pulled herself to her feet.

Samus sighed with relief. She was always worried about her human allies taking hits, they often got injured more easily.

Samus raised her arm cannon to shoot, but suddenly, Mecha Ridley’s tail lunged out at her. Samus tried to dodge and avoided the brunt of the hit, but the metal tail caught the edge of her armor, throwing off her balance. She stumbled forward and stopped herself by running into the wall, but Mecha Ridley was already on top of her. It slashed at her, knocking her down. Her eyes flicked to the corner of her HUD. Suit integrity at 89%. She charged a charge shot while Mecha Ridley screeched at her. A blue blur latched onto the side of Mecha Ridley.

“Falcon Dive!”

There was a fiery explosion as Captain Falcon flipped backwards, landing on his feet with ease.

“YES!”

Cordelia rushed up next to her and bashed the robot’s unprotected flank with the Plasma Lance, landing several hits. She quickly stepped aside as Falcon dashed in again.

“Falcon PUNCH!”

The explosive punch left time for Samus to curl into her morph ball and put some distance between herself and the mech, leaving a few bombs behind her. The explosions threw the mech’s balance but didn’t seem to do any serious damage.

Regaining its balance, Meta Ridley turned and slashed at Cordelia and Falcon with its claws, while the two Smashers dodged. 

Suddenly, Packrat yelled, “GET DOWN!”

Samus curled up into her morph ball as Captain Falcon dashed aside and Cordelia threw herself onto the ground, using the Armor Lock again as she fell. From behind them, three sentry guns, armed with heavier caliber laser cannons and bigger missile launchers then the first, powered up and unleashed a barrage of fire. Mecha Ridley was unable to move in time and was struck with a storm of heavy caliber lasers and missiles. After several seconds of heavy direct fire, Mecha Ridley collapsed to the ground. Its glowing eyes powered down, and smoke began pouring out of its mouth as the sentry guns powered down.

Samus quickly scanned the mechanical monstrosity as it lay defeated.

“Yeah, it’s down,” said Packrat. “That’s what it gets for destroying one of my guns like that! Even Scrapper isn’t gonna be able to salvage much from that.”

“Yeah, no kidding,” said Scrapper. “That’s a pretty strong laser. I wonder if I can….”

However, before he could finish his sentence, Mecha Ridley exploded. All of the Smashers were thrown from their feet. Samus thudded to the ground heavily. Quickly, she scrambled to her feet, her head ringing a little.

“Ugh,” groused Scrapper, climbing to his feet as his energy shields recharged, evidently having absorbed the blast for him. “Fail safes. Gotta hate them. I was hoping to pick apart that laser, you know!”

“I guess all that’s left is to take a look at that portal then,” said Falcon.

“The portal is closed,” said Cordelia.

Samus whipped her head around. Sure enough, the portal was gone, and the Smashers were alone again. She scanned the area again. The R-47 signal had completely disappeared from the area. Samus shook her head. She didn’t like this. First there was a clone of her, then the enemy was working with the Space Pirates, and finally, they got away. Something was wrong. Very wrong. The Space Pirates never ran. They never used sophisticated technology. They never had much strategy. Why were they running now? Who where they working with that would give them this kind of cloaking technology? If it wasn’t Ridley running the show, who was?

“Where did those clones go? Did they get through the portal?” asked Falcon.

“Yeah, I saw them get through the portal earlier, before the fight,” said Samus.

“Why didn’t they fight us?” asked Packrat. “Seems strange compared to what happened with Roy yesterday….”

“Dunno. It seemed like the clones were abandoning the base, just like the Space Pirates were. Do you think they were just covering their retreat?” said Scrapper.

“Maybe. Or they were buying enough time for the Space Pirates to activate the Mecha Ridley. They were prepared for us,” noted Cordelia.

“Either way, they got away and partially accomplished their goal. That’s not good,” said Captain Falcon.

“Not much we can do about it now,” said Samus. “I think this is it. I guess we’d better get back and tell Chief Wilson about the giant evil base beneath his precinct. Might be worth getting some people to pick up all this equipment, this looks like some reasonably valuable stuff.”

Scrapper snorted. “Understatement of the century! If this was a salvage op, this base would be a jackpot! Sure, not everything is top of the line, but there’s enough of it to turn a solid profit margin.”

“Should we take some of it with us? Save the cops some time?” asked Packrat.

Samus shrugged. “Why not.”

The four members of Timberwolf Squad moved over to the piles of supplies and equipment and absorbed as much of it as they could into their IDDs. Several minutes later, with IDDs full, the Smashers turned around and began the trek back to the surface.

After nearly an hour of retracing their steps and getting lost a few times, the Smashers found their way out of the base and into the access ladder in the drain system. Samus blinked as the bright light filtered its way through her visor. The sun was low in the sky, on its way towards the horizon. They had been down in the base for quite some time.

The officers standing at the entrance snapped to attention.

“You’ve been down there a while! Did you find anything?” one asked.

Samus grinned. “Yeah. You could say we found something.”

Chief Wilson came walking up, having seen the commotion.

“So, what’s down there?” he asked.

“A massive base,” replied Samus casually, without missing a beat.

“You’re kidding,” said Chief Wilson.

“I’m not. There’s literally a massive base right under this neighborhood.”

Chief Wilson’s jaw dropped.

“How did they hide there? Was there anyone there?” he asked.

“We found a lot of sophisticated cloaking equipment in the base, that’s how they hid themselves. There were also some bad guys there, but we drove them out. We think it’s tactically secure, but you’d probably want to exercise caution going in there. We managed to secure a mininuke generator and some of their equipment, but a lot of their equipment is still down there. Pretty heavy duty and expensive stuff. Where do you want it?” asked Samus.

Chief Wilson paused for a moment. “I’ll call in some IDD storage boxes now and you can drop them there. We’ll move in to secure the area immediately. Are you sure there are no more enemies in there?”

“Didn’t see any on our way out, so if there were any, they were hiding. Prepare for Space Pirates.”

Chief Wilson nodded. “Very well. Good work, Smashers.”

He turned on his heel and started barking orders. As the Smashers walked back to drop off the secured equipment, they saw several counterterrorism assault teams preparing to insert into the base and properly secure the area.

“You think they’ll be all right?” asked Skylark.

“They should be. We got most of them. If there’s any of them left, they’ll be scared and running. I doubt they’ll even fight,” said Cordelia.

“I sure hope so….” said Skylark.

A short while later, the Smashers arrived back at the mansion. They ran into Fox, who had been on comms duty and had come down to meet them, as they filed back in from the garage.

“How’d it go?” he asked.

“Space Pirates had a base under a residential neighborhood. We drove them out,” said Samus.

“Really now?” said Fox, as he took a sip of his coffee. “Gotta love those sneaky Space Pirates. Did you fight Ridley?”

“Nope. They had a Mecha Ridley, though. Basically, a robot Ridley that’s less smart and not as strong as the original.”

Fox nodded. “So, an easy mission?”

“Yup. Any word from the others?” asked Samus.

“Yeah. Mario called in a little bit ago and had Rosalina send in Megaman, Sonic and Bowser. Apparently, they’re fighting Dr. Wiley. No word from Link or Roy yet.”

Samus nodded. “Sounds good. We’ll head back to the armory for now. Let us know if there’s any word from the other groups.”

“Will do!” said Fox, taking another sip of his thermos.

Samus strolled down to her section of the armory and closed the chain link door behind her. Hers was quite barren, with a bench, a small cabinet with supplies for her Tranquilizer Pistol and a large stasis tube in the back. She pressed a button on her the back of her suit’s gauntlet, and it dematerialized from around her with a flash of light. She placed her hand on a hand scanner of the large stasis tube. Within a few seconds, her suit materialized within the stasis tube. She turned on her heel and slammed the door shut.

Mission complete.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And that concludes Act 4! Tune in next time for Act 5: Marth!

**Author's Note:**

> All right, so I’m going to go over my planned posting schedule for this fic real quick. I’m the kind of writer who likes to write an entire fic before beginning to post, but due to the size of this fic (at the time of writing, my rough draft is a little past the halfway mark), I have decided not to do this. I’m going to post the first act (the first 3 chapters) once per week until the end of the arc. Once I have finished with the first arc, I’ll post once per month to give me time to finish writing and editing the rough draft. Once I have finished that (no ETA on that, unfortunately), I’ll hopefully be able to resume a weekly upload schedule. 
> 
> Also, I realize making Lucina and Dark Pit villains might be a controversial move. I offer no apology other then it was too good of an opportunity to pass up. What do I mean by that? I guess you’ll have to find out!
> 
> Finally… I wonder who is writing those profiles on the Smashers? 
> 
> Before you go, let me run my shameless plug for my discord channel for you: Are you interested in Super Smash Bros Fanfiction and Fanart? Then the Super Smash Prose Discord server is for you! If this interests you, the Discord ID is gDK48ua.


End file.
